Free-agent guard J.R. Smith will likely wind up back with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a one-year deal worth less than the $6.4 million player option he declined earlier this summer, according to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer.
Cavaliers offering J.R. Smith less than $6.4 million player option he turned down, per report
Smith miscalculated the market for his services this summer and will likely have to take less money from the Cavaliers because he has no leverage.
When Smith declined that player option prior to free agency, he thought his solid performance with the Cavaliers in the regular season and throughout much of the playoffs would result in a multi-year offer for more money. But the 29-year-old badly miscalculated the market for his services, and now he’s stuck in a position where he’s going to have to take this one-year deal that’s less than the amount he turned down.
Smith was a nice addition in Cleveland last year. He shot 39 percent from three in the regular season and was great against the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls in the postseason, averaging over 15 points and nearly six boards while shooting 50 percent overall and 46 percent from three across the two series. That included a playoff career-high 28 points and eight three-pointers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta.
However, Smith bombed out in the NBA Finals, shooting 31 percent overall and 29 percent from three. He also was suspended for smacking Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder in the face in the first round of the playoffs and isn't long removed from a tumultuous ending with the New York Knicks. Knicks president Phil Jackson detailed some of Smith's issues in New York, and that negative reputation still follows him around despite some of the good things that he did in Cleveland.
Smith still has value to the Cavaliers as a spot-up shooter and a capable defender, but he has no leverage in his current situation and the team knows it. Cleveland wants to bring him back as cheap a price as possible in order to save luxury tax dollars, and since no other team is ready to come with an offer to his liking, he’ll have to take it. The Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers are the only teams left with sizable cap room, and those teams have little reason to make an offer.
It's not the ideal scenario for Smith, and he's learned a tough lesson this summer. However, he's in the right situation playing with LeBron James on a title contender to help rebuild his value and reputation in advance of the 2016 salary cap explosion. If Smith knocks down threes at a high rate, plays hard and stays out of trouble, he could get that nice multi-year offer next summer.
See More:
