Reports are bubbling that J.R. Smith should start opening up his interests past returning to the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers any day now.
Via ESPN’s Marc Stein:
As a third full week of training camps dribbles to a close, the Cleveland Cavaliers and J.R. Smith appear no closer to a deal to bring the reigning NBA champions closer to full strength.
The Cavs, according to league sources, were offering an annual salary in the range of $10 million to $11 million for some time and any subsequent movement northward hasn’t been sufficient to close the gap on what Smith is seeking.
What’s next?
Sources say it’s only a matter of time before Smith starts engaging with other teams.
If J.R. Smith is looking to maximize his money right now, he’d need to leave Cleveland; and likely settle for far less success to do so.
Flip the pages to see some of Smith’s realistic options if he skips town on LeBron, with team breakdowns via NBA.com:
