J.R. Smith, Cavs $4M-$5M Apart Per Season In Negotiations

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Cleveland Cavaliers and J.R. Smith remain several million dollars apart in their negotiations.

While Smith is seeking a multi-year deal worth $15 million per season, the Cavaliers are offering Smith between $10 million and $11 million per season. The average salary for a starter quality player under the NBA's new salary cap is approximately $15 million per season.

Smith is an unrestricted free agent and while both sides want to get a deal done, neither has been willing to budge with the regular season beginning later this month.

Smith has been the Cavs' best option at shooting guard.

Rich Paul represents Smith, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson.

Via Joe Vardon/Cleveland Plain Dealer

[King4Day]

Can't blame him. Get one more really good contract.

[Bentley1225]

I've always thought 3 years, $40 million (14/13/13) is the right number....

[HotelVitale]

This is tricky because, while Smith's talent and contributions last year were worth that $15m per season, he wouldn't get close to that much on the open market. Too inconsistent, too much unpredictability, too many previous failures to put it together. He seems like he's in a good place mentally in CLE now but I can see them thinking 'no one else would pay you this and you have no options except sitting out--maybe you should take a little less because of all that?' (And I can see JR thinking, 'you all have no good options at SG and I'm not asking for a max or anything--how will it look if you leave a gaping hole on a championship team because of $4m?')

[Fidel Sarcasmo]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

[Winsome Gerbil]

And the Cavs have the right number.

[blazeyo]

Stay put Cavs, you have decent players at the SG to start the season.
Develop McRae meanwhile off the bench, no rush to sign him right now unlike last season.

[damecurry]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

[damecurry]

Stay put Cavs, you have decent players at the SG to start the season.
Develop McRae meanwhile off the bench, no rush to sign him right now unlike last season.

Lolol. Yeah shump and mcrae will be plenty to beat the warriors again.

[blazeyo]

Stay put Cavs, you have decent players at the SG to start the season.
Develop McRae meanwhile off the bench, no rush to sign him right now unlike last season.

Lolol. Yeah shump and mcrae will be plenty to beat the warriors again.

-_- he is not going to hold up for much of the regular season, they will eventually sign him if they stay put and it's not going to take too long.

[Sam195]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

Actually Cavs won the Thompson negotiations - if you consider the rising salary cap. Thompson at his current production is a bargain at 5 years 80M (no opt out I might add). We are seeing guys with inferior resumes like mozgov or even byombo based on 1 playoff run get handed ridiculous cash on shorter contract terms. I see Cavs resigning Smith to around 10m-11m/season but will likely have to offer him a longer term maybe even 5 years to convince him to take less than his ask which is the average salary of a starter or player with similar stats in the nba.

[Fidel Sarcasmo]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

Actually Cavs won the Thompson negotiations - if you consider the rising salary cap. Thompson at his current production is a bargain at 5 years 80M (no opt out I might add). We are seeing guys with inferior resumes like mozgov or even byombo based on 1 playoff run get handed ridiculous cash on shorter contract terms. I see Cavs resigning Smith to around 10m-11m/season but will likely have to offer him a longer term maybe even 5 years to convince him to take less than his ask which is the average salary of a starter or player with similar stats in the nba.

And1'd for that. I think there's going to be a snap-back effect in the market based off early spending sprees. I see the shrewder business men like Cuban, waiting and watching to see how the market plays out and let other teams make their mistakes just cause they have money to spend. Once teams get locked into their new shackles, the patient owners will make their moves. Byombo is going to backfire big time. he's the NBA's version of Tyrus Thomas out of LSU when he had that big dance run in the tournament.

[MJallday59]

Rich Paul needs to take the 11 per offer. He's banking on Lebron to pressure the F.O. If the cavs can somehow can grab Ben Mclemore from Sacramento for a first..I'd do it.

Rich Paul might lose here.

[luss54321]

Rich Paul needs to take the 11 per offer. He's banking on Lebron to pressure the F.O. If the cavs can somehow can grab Ben Mclemore from Sacramento for a first..I'd do it.

Rich Paul might lose here.

Ben Mclemore is trash. He's not worth a 1st round pick, even at the end of the round.

[SMTBSI]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

So, what - he's going to sign with a team with vastly less chance of a title, for less money, just to spite the Cavs? That would be the mother of all cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face moves.

If no one else is offering him more than the Cavs have, they have no reason not to sit tight and wait him out.

[Swoosh_Stripes]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

So, what - he's going to sign with a team with vastly less chance of a title, for less money, just to spite the Cavs? That would be the mother of all cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face moves.

If no one else is offering him more than the Cavs have, they have no reason not to sit tight and wait him out.

He could sign with a team that has less of a title chance for more? His options are limited but I could see a team like the Nets having interest in JR Smith.

[ChokeFasncists]

Say bad things about teammate's salary raise, this is what you get.

BTW, Nets are trying to get good character guys, don't want him.

[Orlwillbeback]

I want to see the Cavs figure something out instead of acquiesce to Paul and Lebron again.

[Swoosh_Stripes]

Say bad things about teammate's salary raise, this is what you get.

BTW, Nets are trying to get good character guys, don't want him.

Nets need talent, teams like the Spurs, Warriors can focus on character, Nets, Knicks and teams that don't make the playoffs need talent.

[damecurry]

I think they realized they bid against themselves with Tristan Thompson whose a decent double double guy but they paid him like he was a 20-10 guy. No one was going to pay him that money. Now they're back in the same boat with Smith. No one offered to JR Smith 15mil, Why should the Cavs?

Because theyre the only ones whos title hopes rely on him signing with them?

So, what - he's going to sign with a team with vastly less chance of a title, for less money, just to spite the Cavs? That would be the mother of all cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face moves.

If no one else is offering him more than the Cavs have, they have no reason not to sit tight and wait him out.

Who says this is the case? Where is there proof Philly hasn't offered 3 for 45m or something? How is everyone so certain of this? How do we know that he doesn't have big money offers that he's taking into the cavs FO and saying "listen I wanna play here I just won a title here, lebron's my boy, I wanna stay but these gives are giving me 15m and the ONLY thing it costs you is the money, there's 0 opportunity cost or reason not to pay me beyond Dan Gilbert being a stingy *** so just give me my money or I will walk to a crappy team and make the money I deserve." How are you all so ******* certain that the case isn't more like that, there are still teams, who one way or another, can pay him. And even if it's not, even if all he can do is get a 1 year 10m deal from someone like philly now then go back on the market next year, you think he wouldn't do that to spite a FO that he feels is totally disrespecting him? JR, the guy you're all saying doesn't deserve this money because of his character issues couldn't possibly be that petty and spiteful? Really? None of this makes any sense, the cavs should give him the money he earned and move on and I can't fathom why I seem to be the only one who realizes this obvious fact.