J.R Smith, aka the shirtless man in the Finals parade you’ve seen on Twitter is now a free agent. Although I’m sure his shirt business is doing well, but he’s also looking to renew his contract with the Championship Cavaliers. With the Cavaliers still set to sign LeBron James and J.R Smith, two vital parts of their title run, J.R Smith will patiently wait for word from the Cavs.
General Manager David Griffin knows that J.R Smith was important in their championship. He averaged 10.6 points, 1.4 steals and 2.3 3-pointers a game, even hitting 5 in a crucial game 3 win for the Cavaliers. Griffin is now very confident in signing the sharp shooter. Per Chris Fedor of NEOMG:
“I think the good news is J.R. wants to be here and we want J.R. back,” Griffin said on ESPN during the broadcast of the Cavaliers’ Summer League win against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. “These things sometimes take time and he has representatives that want him to be with us as well. When the time is right something will get done. I’m very confident about that.”
I would assume that because LeBron James and J.R Smith both have the same agency, the deal will likely get done fairly, and with the Cavaliers. Both LeBron and J.R want him back on the Cavaliers and when LeBron wants something it gets done. With the salary cap increase, expect J.R to get a big pay raise.
