LeBron James’ deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers is (finally) done.
Now it’s J.R. Smith’s turn. Technically, anyway. There hasn’t been much talk about him nearing a deal with the Cavaliers. Smith was believed to be seeking $15 million per year in his next contract, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Cleveland apparently countered with an offer in the ballpark of $10 million per year, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. But Smith, per Fedor, is still after than $15 million annual salary.
Which brings us here, to Smith’s recent video for Uninterrupted, wherein he addressed contract talks without actually addressing them:
VIDEO: From his charity golf classic, @TheRealJRSmith addresses his free agency in the most JR Smith way possible.https://t.co/TgI0HQ1lj9
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) August 18, 2016
Fedor provided the quick transcription:
“I know you guys are going to ask me about my contract situation,” Smith said. “You’ve got my agent’s number so you all can call him. Rich Paul. You all know what it is. Klutch. You dig?”
Oh, we dig, J.R. Though, to be honest, we also don’t quite understand. You were recently married and seen hanging out with all your Cavaliers teammates on social media. It sure feels like you’re still on the team, as opposed to be a free agent.
Rich Paul has a reputation for being a hard-nosed negotiator, and after Smith accepted arguably a below-market deal in each of his last two contracts, the first of which was with the New York Knicks, he may not be willing to give an inch or penny at the brokering table with Cleveland. But if there were $15-million-per-year offers for Smith elsewhere, wouldn’t he have signed them already? Or wouldn’t the Cavaliers have conceded already, knowing he could get that much elsewhere?
Only three teams have enough cap room to offer him his desired salary this late in the summer, per Basketball Insiders: The Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns can offer a little more than $13 million, while the Utah Jazz can cobble together a $10-million-per-year pitch.
But not one of those teams has a real need for Smith, and there’s no guarantee his sweet shooting and renewed defensive effort translates to a squad that won’t have LeBron James flinging him passes. Thus, the saga continues. And it doesn’t sound like Smith is going to spoil the ending before it happens.
