By all accounts, J.R. Smith is having a pretty good summer. After helping bring the city of Cleveland its first championship in more than 50 years, the poster boy for irrational confidence has been on cloud nine. But soon enough, he’ll have to come back down to Earth as his free agency situation has yet to be resolved. Smith appeared on ESPN’s His & Hers on Friday to discuss what the future might hold and the possibility that he might end up somewhere besides Cleveland next season.
“I’ve thought about that situation,” he said. “Then I thought about it the other way, too, going back and winning again, both of those juggled in the air. I’m actually kind of nervous about that choice when it gets presented to me.”
Smith, of course, famously opted out of his contract with the Cavs last summer and eventually had to settle for less money, but there was a caveat to that. He and his agent were able to finagle a no-trade clause into his deal, ensuring that he would remain with the team for the duration of the season. That ended up working out pretty well for him.
He’s in a similar situation this offseason after once again opting out his current contract, but it appears he and Cavs brass have arrived at some sort of an impasse. Like every other free agent this summer, Smith is looking to cash in big time on the booming salary cap.
Yikes… hearing JR Smith seeking huge deal to return to Cavs, in the $15m per year range. Can Cavs really pass on bringing him back?
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) July 17, 2016
All parties involved, including LeBron James and general manager David Griffin, want Smith back next season, but if the rumored asking price is accurate, it could certainly test those limits. Still, it seems likely that both sides would be willing to compromise in order to get a deal done. For the Cavs, there aren’t many players left on the market who could adequately replace him in the rotation.
Smith, for his part, has also said previously that playing with LeBron is the best thing that ever happened to his career, and at this point it be would difficult to sacrifice the prospect of multiple title runs to chase a little more money elsewhere and risk fading back into relative obscurity.
(ESPN)
