According to a tweet sent this past Sunday by Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, J.R. Smith is seeking a deal in the $15M per year range to return to the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
Yikes… hearing JR Smith seeking huge deal to return to Cavs, in the $15m per year range. Can Cavs really pass on bringing him back?
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) July 17, 2016
Smith is an unrestricted free agent and free to sign anywhere he would like. He was a vital cog in the Cavs run to a championship in June and his preference is to remain with the team. However, as we all know, money talks.
Team chemistry and defined roles are critical in any team’s quest to win a championship. In Cleveland, they have that and it would be a shame to mess with a formula that has proven successful. With the jump in salary cap both this year and next, the money J.R. is seeking is not out of the ordinary. Consider what the Lakers just gave Timofey Mozgov…Besides $15M per year with the exploding cap is about $7M – $8M with the old cap. that makes sense, right?
Is J.R. streaky? Sure. A bit petulant at times? No doubt. Is $15M per year a lot for someone that only averaged 10 points per game in the Finals? Eh, depends on who you ask. Won’t this make it harder for the Cavs to sign other players? Maybe. Do the Cavs want to get close to the tax? They just won a championship and Dan Gilbert is a billionaire.
Bottom line is, if defacto GM LeBron wants J.R. back on the team both sides will work something out. Whatever you think of J.R., you cannot deny his skill level, heart and self-confidence. LeBron knows this and J.R. has accepted his role on this team and it suits him well. If I’m the Cavs and defacto GM LeBron, I re-sign him.