With all of the signings and money being given to big name free agents and even smaller name players, J.R. Smith is still left without any money in his pocket. After being traded to Cleveland last season while the Knicks were trying to lose more games, he found himself in a starter role.
He would love to be in that role again, but after the Cavs signed Iman Shumpert to his huge contract, that does not seem to be possible if a return to Cleveland was going to happen. Smith understands this, and would be somebody to ruin team chemistry when he could still be an impactful player off the bench.
Following From Pacific Daily News.
“I just want to be somewhere I can make a difference,” Smith said. “I don’t want to be somewhere I can’t have an affect on the team.”
“I would love to be a starter, but it depends on the situation and what team I’m on,” Smith said. “Cleveland is in a situation where they don’t really need me to start. I can come off the bench and bring the energy and stuff like that.”
There is definitely a spot out there on a contending team for Smith, but the exact location of that team is to be determined. Any playoff team could use a bench scorer, a role Smith is ready and prepared to fill.
