HoopsHype.com Rumors

Did the Blazers come right out and say he would be a free agent? “Yeah, pretty much. They made that pretty clear and you know, I’m excited for the summer,” Smith answered. “I have a great agent. A great team behind me. Add that to my great work and my passion for the game to get better every summer, and I’m going to look for a better situation next year. HoopsWorld

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Nolan Smith 

“I’m excited to be a free agent. I love my two years here. A lot of ups and downs. It obviously wasn’t what I expected with everything, but a lot of changes. Coach change, GM changes, things happened along the way. This summer is going to be a great summer for me to look for a situation that better suits me and my career.” HoopsWorld

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Nolan Smith 

Chris Haynes: Neil Olshey said he thinks Nolan Smith needs a new environment. He says Nolan will be on an NBA roster next year. Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Neil Olshey, Nolan Smith 

Chris Haynes: Nolan Smith says it's safe to assume he won't be back with the #Blazers. He says management made it clear that he is a free agent. Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Nolan Smith 

Nolan Smith: Side note: to those people, Me and every NBA player, athlete, celebrity whatever.. We don't care about what you talking about!! #knowdat Twitter @NdotSmitty

Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith 

So what's next for Smith? Like Luke Babbitt. Like JJ Hickson. Like Sasha Pavlovic and Jared Jeffries, Smith's tenure with the Blazers will end this week and he will not be coming back. Sources close to Smith say there will be a host of teams poised to offer him a second chance, with the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder likely be the most aggressive pursuers. While Smith wasn't willing to discuss his interest in other teams, Oklahoma City, in particular, certainly would be an intriguing option for the 6-foot-2 combo guard. For starters, the franchise's reputation for developing young talent is second only to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. And more importantly, Smith has a deep, lifelong connection with Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Oregonian

Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith 

And while it appears Smith's career has reached a crossroads, Brooks has no doubt there is a place for him in the league. "He's definitely an NBA player," Brooks said. "Sometimes you've just got to keep working and get your opportunities. He's a great kid, he works hard and he has a good skill level. But a lot of times, it doesn't always work out the way you want it to. But he's still here, he still has an opportunity to keep playing and keep improving. I know him. He's a great kid and he's going to continue to work hard. That's what he does." Oregonian

Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Scott Brooks, Nolan Smith 

Smith's two-year tenure in Portland will come to an end this week and it's only fitting that he'll face Denver -- and Faried -- today in one of his final games with the Blazers. But as he leaves Rip City, Smith prefers not to dwell on his past failings, but rather to focus on rediscovering his game and prove there is a place for him in the NBA. "This is a business and things in this league happen in time," Smith said. "You have to get to a team where you're in their plans. That's one thing I'm looking forward to this summer in free agency. I'm going to get to a place that wants me, that wants me to be myself and play my game. If you think about it, there's no telling what would have happened with (Faried) if the Blazers drafted him. He might have been playing behind LaMarcus (Aldridge) and maybe his opportunity wouldn't have come. His opportunity in Denver didn't come until Nene got hurt. But Kenneth got an opportunity and Kenneth made the most of his opportunity -- in Denver. So now all the Portland fans can be mad." Oregonian

Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Draft, Nolan Smith, Kenneth Faried 

Smith, who will turn 25 in July, has taken to increasing his profile by videobombing Blazers Broadcasting before the game. On Thursday, two days after Portland's second straight road loss, Smith stood behind Mike Barrett and Mike Rice before tip of a road game against the Chicago Bulls with a sign that read, "Mom!!! Send Money $$$" Smith's Twitter account has been full of his plans for the video bombs, which have included a Beavis & Butthead tribute, among others. His large followings on Twitter and Instagram seem to approve the running gag, as does Blazers Broadcasting and his teammates. Detractors -- as always -- can be found. "Classic Duke nerd," opined Instagram user trey_ball_splashh. Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith 

Smith, in particular, was brutal. Bucks guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis administered the equivalent of a public wedgie on Smith, twice swiping his pass, and once stripping him of his dribble. All three turnovers resulted in fast break layins. “Rough stretch,’’ Smith said after the game. “Really rough stretch. I’ve gotta take care of the ball. I’ve gotta put it behind me.’’ Oregonian

Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, Nolan Smith 

Ben Golliver: Nolan Smith on getting PT in last few games after sitting for so long: "I haven't really had a sense of when anything is coming this year." Twitter @blazersedge

Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith 

Nolan Smith: #WMG new family! Twitter @NdotSmitty

Portland Trail Blazers, Agents, Nolan Smith 

After recently firing his agent Joel Bell of Bell Sports Management, Portland Trail Blazers guard Nolan Smith has since hired former NBA player B.J. Armstrong of Wasserman Media Group, CSNNW.com has learned. Armstrong, considered one of the young up-and-coming agents in the profession, represents NBA notables such as Chicago's Derrick Rose, Atlanta's Al Horford, Boston's Jason Terry, and Denver's JaVale McGee. Smith's former agent, Bell, has been a personal friend of the Smith family for years. Smith told CSNNW.com last week that it was just time for him to move on and take his career to the next level. CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Agents, Nolan Smith 

A source close to the situation had told CSNNW.com that Bell was pushing to get Smith out of Portland this season, but was obviously unsuccessful in doing so. Smith had acknowledged that Bell did request a trade, but says his inability to get it done wasn't the reason he chose to let go of the only agent he's had as a professional. Smith said he never asked to be traded. CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Agents, Nolan Smith 

The team assigned Nolan Smith and Will Barton to the Idaho Stampede, Portland's NBA Development League affiliate, for the Stampede's games in the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nev. The Stampede will play Texas at 12:45 p.m. Monday and Canton at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Reno Events Center as part of the D-League Showcase, a four-day gathering of all 16 D-League teams. Both games will be televised live on the D-League's YouTube channel. Smith, in his second season, will make his first foray into the D-League. He is averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 assists in 8.2 minutes this season and has not had been able to get regular rotation minutes since early in the season. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, D-League, Will Barton, Nolan Smith 

Portland Trail Blazers guard Nolan Smith has fired his agent Joel Bell of Bell Sports Management and has since narrowed his list of candidates to three different sports representatives. Bell has been a friend of the family for years and Smith says it was just time to move on and take his career to the next level. CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Agents, Nolan Smith 

A source close to the situation told CSNNW.com that Bell was pushing to get his client out of Portland this season, but was obviously unsuccessful. Smith acknowledged that Bell did request a trade, but says his inability to get it done wasn't the reason he chose to let go of the only agent he's had as a professional. CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Nolan Smith 

It wouldn't exactly send ripples through the league, but I've been told that Portland point guard Nolan Smith (taken 21st overall out of Duke in 2011) may very well be moved before the Feb. 21 trade deadline. That is if he ever plays enough to garner interest. USA Today

Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Nolan Smith 

He's not sure what his future holds in Portland, but before his time ends here, he would like to show this city what he can offer. On the other hand, he's realistic and knows he probably won't be able to prove his worth until he's on another team. “Change is good for everybody,” Smith said. “Change is good for everybody,” he repeated. “I love Portland and if I'm here, I'll be happy to be here. But at the same time, everybody knows that when change comes, there's a lot of players in this league that when change happened, great things happened and that's what I'm looking at. We'll see what happens.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith 

That's what you get out of Smith: a great person, teammate, and a diligent worker who just wants to play the game that he loves. His time will eventually come, but the question is where will it come at? “It's frustrating, but at the same time, I'm loving this team,” he said. “I'm having fun being part of this team and watching everybody. But at the end of the day, everybody basketball player wants to be on the court. Every basketball player wants an opportunity to play, play good minutes, and get comfortable and play their game. I'm going to keep working hard and be patient. I'll get my chance.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Nolan Smith