The Cleveland Indians versus J.A. Happ
October 14, 2016Tale of a Lil’ Cowboy and a Big Lefty : Ball Played
October 15, 2016While the Cleveland Indians were busy shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Cleveland Cavaliers were playing a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls in the Windy City. The most important news of the night for the wine and gold came when reports surfaced that the team had come to agreement on a long-term deal with J.R. Smith. On Saturday, the Cavs made it official, Swish is returning to The Land on a four-year, $57 million deal, with three years and $45 million guaranteed.
General manager David Griffin was excited to bring back the starting two-guard.
“Bringing J.R. back as part of our core group was a priority for us. He’s a special part of this family and we are very pleased to have reached an agreement that we all can feel good about. We know he can’t wait to get back on the court with his brothers and we are certain that everyone in this organization and city feels the same way.”
Following the reports that he re-signed, Smith went on Uninterrupted to express his excitement to finally be back with the team, along with announcing that he and his wife are expecting their third child.
.@TheRealJRSmith and family are beyond thrilled to be back with the @cavs but also have some other BIG news to share. pic.twitter.com/NvC9bXjtTt
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) October 15, 2016
On the court, the 31-year-old has averaged 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from long distance in 123 games (122 starts) during the regular season with the Cavs; in 39 playoff games (25 starts), Smith has averaged 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point land. During the regular season, he set a franchise record with 204 made three-pointers. Over the past two seasons with the wine and gold, Smith has made the second-most threes in the NBA with 335.
During the Cavaliers championship run, the sharpshooter brought more than just offense. He proved that he can be a two-way player while doing his best to lockdown players like Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, among others.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Smith doubled his earnings in his previous 12 years in the NBA with this new contract with the Cavaliers.
According to @bball_ref, J.R. Smith earned $45.5 million through his first 12 years in the league. Then he made $45m guaranteed on this
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 15, 2016
How did a deal get done so quickly after reports surfaced yet again that Smith and the Cavs were not even close to a deal, you ask? A call from head coach Tyronn Lue and a late push from the Philadelphia 76ers to try and sign the guard were the main reasons why the two sides knew a deal had to be made sooner rather than later. One of five teams that had enough cap space to sign Smith, the Sixers were aggressive in trying to pry the sharpshooter away from the Cavaliers, per cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon.
Obviously, Cavs star LeBron James was ecstatic to have his starting two-guard back with the wine and gold.
So damn happy for my Lil bro!! Well deserved. Good things happens to good people. I can't express how happy I am for you brother! Love https://t.co/cEGGwz3bdE
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 15, 2016
Starting big-man Tristan Thompson took to Instagram to express his excitement as well.
Following the Cavs preseason game in Chicago Friday night, sharpshooter James Jones admitted that Swish was irreplaceable and he’s glad Smith is back, per Vardon.
“You don’t replace a guy like Swish. The only person that can replace Swish is Swish. That’s why he’s a unique talent.”
Snapchat phenom (and a key member of the Cavs) Richard Jefferson also expressed his excitement for one of his teammates being back in the fold.
“He’s one of us. I think there’s so many guys that are a part of our success, not only on the field but off the field, and he’s just such a good teammate. He worked really hard, and we all won a championship together. So whenever he gets back, we look forward to having him.”
On September 20, WFNY’s Jacob Rosen projected that the Cavs would re-sign Swish to a four-year, $54 million deal. He was pretty close.
With the addition of Smith’s new salary, the Cavs’ payroll is now $128 million, which is the highest in the NBA. Owner Dan Gilbert will have plenty of luxury tax to pay, but having a chance to win back-to-back championships should make it all worth it, right?
$57 million isn’t bad for a player who was considered a “throw-in” in that deal that sent Dion Waiters out of Cleveland and brought Iman Shumpert to the Cavs in January 2015. Before Smith joined the Cavaliers, he was considered to be a player that could only shoot from long distance and didn’t bring much else to the table on the court. Add on the fact that he supposedly had plenty of problems off the court as well, and it was considered risky to acquire him. Despite the reputation, and a one-off suspension during the Boston series in his first Cavaliers season, J.R. Smith has been nothing short of exceptional. There’s no denying that Smith played a pivotal role in the Cavaliers winning the 2015-16 NBA title after the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead.
While Smith may not play much in the remaining preseason games, he is expected to start in the Cavs season opener on October 25, when the team’s banner raising and ring ceremony will also take place ahead of their game against the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET.
With Smith returning, the Cavaliers waived guard Toney Douglas.
2 Comments
The only highlight I wanted to see was the Game 5 backwards-blind-fastbreak alleyoop to LBJ. Annnnd they din’t include it. :/
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