The Denver Nuggets could choose to move J.R. Smith at the Feb. 24 trade deadline, and Smith is well aware of his situation with the team. According to quotes in the Denver Post, Smith believes he could be traded out of Denver, but he would like to stay with the team.
Smith will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and his preference is to stay in Denver. His off-the-court actions and his level of maturity have often clashed with his role on the team, and Denver could look to move in a new direction this summer, especially if Carmelo Anthony is no longer with the team. Smith's 2011 salary was slightly over $6,000,000, which may be too rich for the team going forward.
The Nuggets acquired Smith from the Chicago Bulls in July 2006 for Howard Eisley and two second-round draft picks. In the 2010-2011 season so far, Smith has averaged 11.4 points in 24.6 minutes. That has not stopped him from making a number of amazing dunks this season.