Guard-forward J.R. Smith announced Thursday night on Instagram that he will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season. Smith also negotiated a no-trade clause into his deal, which is pretty good business, seeing as how it nearly guarantees he’ll be playing into May.
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He was unable to find a richer deal on the free-agent market and ultimately returned to the Cavs for a pay cut, though the player option will allow him to guarantee himself more total money in addition to retaining the option to test free agency again next season.
J.R. Smith knows what he’s doing, folks. “When I opted out of my contract, I wanted to understand the landscape of the National Basketball Association and where I fit best”. During last season, Smith talked about how much of a great time he was having with the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers had things they needed to do in order to piece together a championship caliber roster.
According to Smith’s Instagram account, the veteran shooter will be returning to the Cavaliers “in pursuit of the ultimate goal, an National Basketball Association championship”.
No team was willing to commit long-term for his services and the Cavaliers, in their bloated salary state, were not going to overpay since he decided to opt out. Smith averaged almost 13 points per game for Cleveland in the playoffs. “I don’t want his head to be down like it was in Game 4”. It’s just that simple.
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Smith turned down a $6.4 million deal earlier this summer when he opted out of his contract with the Cavs. Smith may see a decrease in the 31.8 minutes per game he played with the Cavs last year due to the addition of Mo Williams. “You’re going to have an opportunity to make shots, and you have to capitalize on them”.
