Despite not being injured and being under contract, Cleveland Cavaliers’ JR Smith hasn’t suited up for NBA games since November 2018. Still, Smith’s name is regularly a topic among general managers around the league thanks to his attractive expiring contract with Miami Heat emerging as his latest suitors.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Heat is interested in getting Smith via “salary-designed trade.” Miami hopes that dealing for the 33-year-old guard would allow them to move some of their bad contracts in the offseason, which would give them some cap flexibility ahead of free agency this summer.
Smith currently has a one-year left on his deal which pays him $15.7 million for 2019-20 NBA Season. However, only $3.87 million is guaranteed, so Heat could cut him and clear a considerable amount of cap space.
JR Smith clashed with Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office early in the season, publicly criticizing the team and Cavs’ lack of effort when it comes to winning basketball games. This caused Cavaliers to remove Smith from the roster, letting him know that he won’t be a part of the organization anymore.
Smith joined the Cavs in 2015 and was fairly productive during his time in Cleveland, averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 38 percent from the 3-point line. He also helped the team to win an NBA championship and make three consecutive NBA Finals trips.
