JR Smith has reportedly agreed to a contract tweak that should facilitate a trade.
Smith’s contract was structured so that only $3.87 million of his contract for the upcoming season was guaranteed prior to June 30. If he was on the roster after June 30, the full $15.68 million he was owed would have been guaranteed.
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t want Smith and essentially paid him to stay home last season. Neither side wants to see a repeat of that, so Smith agreed to postpone his guarantee date to August 1, according to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon.
JR Smith agreed to push his guarantee date to August 1st, giving the Cavaliers more time to try and trade him — a league source said
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 29, 2019
The postponement of the guarantee date gives the Cavs more time to try and find a trade partner for Smith. In this scenario, Smith would be paid $3.87 million by his acquiring team prior to August 1. The new team then could buy him out.
The Lakers, for whom Smith’s ex-teammate LeBron James now plays, have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Smith.
