J.R. Smith has been quite busy this summer. He got married, he’s been doing community events for his foundation, took on the Kanye West’s ‘Saint Pablo Tour‘, he’s spent a lot of time on the golf course and even opened his own ‘Team Swish’ lifestyle store in New Jersey. Yet despite his busy offseason, the newly minted NBA champion has yet to decide on his future in the NBA.
The man who won the NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers just this past June is approaching the end of September without a home in the league. He’s made a couple of stops during his career, with stints on the formerly named New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks but many assumed he found a home when he was traded to the Cavs. Yet here we are, about two weeks away from the start of the Cavs training camp and Smith has yet to sign a contract.
Although he’s been relatively quiet on what his future might hold, Smith actually opened up recently during an interview while playing a game of golf. He stressed the importance of family and having a place to call home. It sounds like he wants to remain with the Cavs in Cleveland for a little longer. And yes, he was wearing a shirt during the interview.
Following from Adam Caparell of Complex Sports.
Smith, believe it or not, is still a free agent with Cleveland’s training camp just weeks away on Sept. 27. He has no idea when he’ll sign with the Cavaliers—“Soon, I hope,” he says. Cleveland is realistically the only team Smith can sign with for the money he’s looking for. So what’s the hold up?
“Well, obviously we’re not where we want to be at from a personal standpoint,” says Smith. “But it’s more than just numbers. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of the Cavs for everything they’ve done for me, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s more of a mutual respect thing.”
He was unceremoniously shipped out of New York in January 2015, but after two NBA Finals appearances in Cleveland, he’s seemingly found a home. His family is based out there now; his wife is going to school, as are his daughters. But is Cleveland really the best spot for him?
“Yes and no. It depends on how you look at it,” says Smith. “Financially, you can always go somewhere else. Team morale-wise, there are a few teams that I could see working. There are guys I would like to play with, guys I have played with. Being able to live in that city or a particular place, school systems, kids, family life—[with] free agency, everything comes into play. Before, I could just sit there and be like, ‘I don’t care where I go.’ But now I have the kids, and it’s like, ‘Ok, what’s the best fit?’”
That would still seem to be Cleveland. And while you get the vibe that he knows he’s going back there, he’s still playing it coy. You don’t tip your hand while you’re negotiating. “My family is always my priority,” he says. After that, “winning is obviously the biggest thing. Because if you don’t win, nothing really matters. You can have all the money in the world and they can still call you a loser.”
No matter what ends up happening between Smith and the Cavs, this isn’t new territory for the team. Last year, the Cavs almost went into the season without an agreement for Tristan Thompson but eventually the two sides got a deal done. It seems unlikely that a holdout from Smith would extend that long but who knows. Anything is possible.
