The NBA trade deadline came and went and Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith stayed put, despite rampant rumors that he could and should be moved.
Talk like that is sure to strike fear in the hearts of even the most confident and secure of NBA players, but Smith admitted that he was plenty anxious on that fateful Thursday that saw six of his teammates shipped off to other teams, per Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal.
“My name was being thrown around a lot out there, so it was nerve wracking for sure,” Smith said after Sunday’s 121-99 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. “When you see six guys getting traded and there’s still more than an hour to the trade deadline, there’s no telling what can happen.”
No one should blame Smith for having a difficult time in the hours before the trade deadline. It must be difficult not to know where you will be from day to day, let alone minute to minute on a day like that.
Players want security more than anything else, which is why they attempt to get as many years on a contact as possible. But in the NBA, players can be traded at any time regardless of contract status. So really, it’s a tough go if a player isn’t performing.
Smith got to stay, and thanked the Cavaliers with a stellar performance against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. When he’s playing well, that team is definitely in the conversation for the NBA Finals.