J.R. Smith is one of the top players remaining on the free agent market, and it is widely assumed that he is just waiting for an official offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers so he can stay right where he is.
It may not be that simple.
Smith opted out of a $5.4 million contract for the 2016-2017 season. After seeing what some mediocre free agents got on the open market, he really had no choice. Many believe he took a discount with his last contract in Cleveland, but Smith clearly feels it was worth it.
“If I didn’t sacrifice then, I wouldn’t be a champ now,” he said in a recent ESPN interview. “There has to be sacrifices on both sides and both sides have to come to an understanding where neither one of us are taking advantage of the other and we can go from there.”
LeBron James, who still needs to re-sign with the Cavs after opting out of his own deal, likes playing with Smith. Ideally, the Cavs would like to get Smith back for less than market value to help them keep their championship roster together. But as of now, Smith won’t rule out the possibility of leaving.
“I’ve thought about that situation,” he said. “I thought about it the other way too — going back and winning again. I’m actually kind of nervous about that choice when it gets presented to me.”
In other words, Smith knows he will probably be able to make more money elsewhere, so he has to decide if he should give the Cavs another discount or cash in on a bigger pay day. At age 30, this could be his last big contract. No player had more fun than Smith after the Cavs won the title, and these photos are evidence of that. However, you can’t blame him if he wants to get paid.
