We probably should’ve seen it coming, but the Cavaliers have fallen apart without LeBron James and there is a clear divide in the locker room between the LeBron-era vets and the young players that are very clearly the future of the organization and the focal point right now.
After firing Ty Lue and making the decree from the top that this season will be about developing young talent, the veterans that remain from those Finals teams aren’t very happy. J.R. Smith has been the most vocal about his displeasure with the situation in Cleveland, asking for a trade publicly and doubling down on that request after another loss on Monday.
On Tuesday, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported Smith’s Cavs tenure is all but over as the veteran guard will no longer actively be with the team as he works with the front office to get him traded out of Cleveland.
JR Smith will no longer be actively with the Cavs, a league source tells me. He is working with the team to trade him, and in the meantime will work out on his own
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) November 20, 2018
Smith is not interested in a buyout, noting the stigma that comes with that, and the question becomes what kind of package could the Cavs get for Smith, given his salary this season — next year’s salary is less an issue since most of it is non-guaranteed. There aren’t any teams with cap space to bring him in without dealing back salary to match, so it will likely have to be a team like, say, the Pistons who are in the playoff hunt but have a need for perimeter shooting talking themselves into Smith being a helpful piece.
Detroit could package Jon Leuer and Stanley Johnson together to make money work, ridding themselves of Leuer’s deal and, if they aren’t planning on re-signing Johnson next summer, they can let him get more burn and a new opportunity in Cleveland. There aren’t many perfect deals out there that jump off the page for Smith, especially considering his struggles last year, but the Cavs and Smith are hoping someone still sees value in the veteran guard.
