Knicks, Pacers talked J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland trade

One of president Phil Jackson’s big decisions this season is whether to trade J.R. Smith, and the club had recent conversations with the Pacers regarding ex-Knick Chris Copeland, according to a league source.

The 6-foot-9 Copeland has an expiring contract after bolting the Knicks for a two-year, $6 million deal, so he wouldn’t affect their 2015 cap space.

Smith, meanwhile, can opt out of the $6.4 million he has coming in 2015-16, but there’s still a chance he will wait to be a free agent until 2016 when the salary cap is expected to rise dramatically.