According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, "rival teams believe Dennis Smith Jr. prefers a move from the Knicks. Several teams have made inquiries into the Knicks about Smith."
Smith Jr. is in his second season with the team after being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis on Jan. 31, 2019. The point guard out of NC State is averaging just 5.2 points per game in 16.1 minutes of action this season for the Knicks.
SNY's Ian Begley had previously reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves are among several teams interested in trading for Smith Jr.
Smith Jr. did not play on Thursday against the Nets, as he was dealing with a strained left oblique.
With the Knicks record now at 8-24 and in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, a few players have said privately that they prefer to be traded, per SNY sources.
Though, it's unclear if those players have made formal trade requests to team management.
The NBA's trade deadline is on Feb. 6, and a good portion of the Knicks' roster consists of players on short-term, trade-friendly deals.