Metta World Peace is in Knicks coach Mike Woodson’s doghouse and he’s unsure why. After returning from a blood-spinning procedure on Jan. 24, World Peace has seen little time in the rotation and now is open to getting traded, according to a league source.
After spending his career wanting to be traded to the Knicks, the defensive forward, who has been in and out of the rotation since December, wouldn’t mind being traded from the Knicks.
“He didn’t sign up for this,’’ one person close to him said.
When asked about whether he wanted to get dealt at the Feb. 20 deadline, World Peace said: “That’s up to my agent. I don’t worry about it. I’m optimistic about my future. … I’m not going to complain.’’
Another source said the possibility exists that Woodson was unhappy with World Peace after a recent practice, in which World Peace spoke up about his playing time, making a wisecrack. World Peace is a constant clown in the locker room, but Woodson took exception.
Agent Marc Cornstein said he hasn’t gotten a firm reason why World Peace has seen limited time after the Knicks gave the rest of their mid-level exception in signing the Queenbridge product in July. He has been relegated to mostly garbage time since returning from his platelet-rich plasma procedure. World Peace played the final five minutes of garbage time Friday night in the Knicks’ 117-90 rout of the Nuggets.
“I haven’t been given an answer,’’ Cornstein said. “Usually, I’ll get an answer, not always the one I want to hear. But I don’t have an answer for you on this.’’
World Peace’s name came up in talks with Toronto for point guard Kyle Lowry in December, but those negotiations broke down.
World Peace’s didn’t get into the game in losses against Milwaukee and Portland despite Kenyon Martin and Andrea Bargnani being lost to injury for an indefinite period. Impressive young big man Jeremy Tyler is ahead of World Peace in the rotation and so was center Cole Aldrich, briefly.
A source said World Peace lost weight during the time away for his blood injections and his knee feels much better. He paid for the procedures himself to heal his arthritic left knee that has been drained multiple times this season.
Woodson has been vague on World Peace’s role, saying recently: “I want to play nine guys. You can’t play everybody.’’
Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. and his father, Tim Hardaway, were officially named Thursday to All-Star Weekend’s Shooting Stars competition. “It will be a good collaboration,’’ Hardaway Jr. said.
When asked if his father was in shape, Hardaway Jr. said: “No he’s not. I was on the phone with him today. I told him to take shots up.’’