The Cavs have been receiving trade calls about the shooting guard.
Despite all the jokes that have surrounded JR Smith since the 2018 NBA Finals, the veteran shooting guard has proven himself as a valuable asset to any NBA team that wants him. This has been confirmed by a report courtesy Cleveland.com which states that multiple teams have been calling the Cleveland Cavaliers with intentions to trade for him. Cavs general manager Koby Altman explained that Smith’s contract expires next season which makes him a great rental player.
“We have a trade chip in JR Smith, and his contract, where we can take on some money that other teams are trying to get some cap relief from,” Altman explained. “We are actually the only team in the NBA that can provide guaranteed cap relief until July 1. We can guarantee that right now and we actually had a phone call (Thursday) on that trade chip. So, we’re going to keep on being aggressive adding those assets because we do eventually want to consolidate and be really good at some point.”
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Smith and the Cavaliers have been on the outs as late. Smith only played 11 games with the team this year before they sidelined him for the season. At the time, the team even issued a statement thanking Smith for his contributions to the team and their championship in 2016.
Stay tuned for updates on Smith’s trade status.