Last offseason, Tristan Thompson’s contract negotiations dragged all the way till the third week of October. Now, it’s J.R. Smith’s time to be on the limelight with his own contract impasse.
The mercurial shooting guard has proven his worth to the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. He’s done his part and became an integral piece to the team’s recently completed championship puzzle.
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Still, the two sides appear to be far off on an agreement. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote in his recent article that the Cavs offered Smith a sum that is rather close to his perceived asking price.
Multiple sources told ESPN that the Cavs have offered a three-year escalating contract to Smith with a partial guarantee in the fourth year, bringing the total guaranteed money north of $42 million — the same amount Jamal Crawford got when he re-signed with the LA Clippers this offseason, except his deal only included $30.5 million guaranteed.
A source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN on Friday about the Cavs’ offer: “I don’t see it changing anytime soon.”
The common belief is that Smith’s camp is seeking somewhere around $15 million for three years. Cleveland’s offer is obviously short by a bit, but it is guaranteed money.
Despite the standoff, one thing that’s going for the Cavalier hopeful is that Smith has been very expressive in his desire to stay in Cleveland. He’s been hanging out with his “former” teammates and also attended Cleveland Browns games.
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At least, on that aspect, there is a mutual desire to continue with their partnership and defend the title this season.
