J.R. Smith admits he delayed his knee surgery so that he could sign his three-year, $18 million contract with the New York Knicks, instead of undergoing the procedure and potentially hurting his value.

"For one, I'm a father and I have two young children to look after," Smith said. "It made more sense for my family to get a deal done before [surgery]."

The surgery, a patellar tendon repair and an arthroscopy for a tear in the lateral meniscus of his left knee, is expected to sideline Smith through training camp.

"Without a doubt, the best part about it was we had the support of the team," Smith said. "The team supported us, the [team doctor] supported us all on the decision. At the end of the day it was more of a family decision than anything else."