He was a fairly important rotation player for the champion Cavs but JR Smith officially isn’t a member of the Cavs any longer, at least until he re-signs with the club. That’s going to happen, right? Well, everyone still expects the two sides to reach an agreement, yet it hasn’t occurred just yet. Smith’s been endorsed by LeBron James and others, which hasn’t exactly quickened the process. Smith recently spoke about his contract and other issues while being interviewed by 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.”
Smith is reportedly seeking a significant increase in salary after making just $5 million despite starting all 21 playoff games. And with the way free agents were compensated this summer—former teammate Timofey Mozgov is getting $64 million over four years from the Lakers, for example—$15 million a year for his services doesn’t seem ridiculous. But the Cavs are still holding out, so there’s a chance he may not get it.
