Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard JR Smith. (Photo : Getty Images)
Recent rumors have emerged that the reigning NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers could potentially lose JR Smith for next season after the shooting guard asked for a $15 million per year salary moving forward.
The 30-year-old starting two guard is rumored to be demanding an annual wage of $15 million from the Cavs after his impressive performance in the recent NBA Finals where they dethroned defending champions Golden State Warriors.
Smith's notable outside shooting and remarkable defense on two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and his Splash Brother Klay Thompson are some of the keys to Cleveland winning their first-ever NBA title this summer.
It is not immediately known, though, whether the Cavs' management is ready to give in to his asking price, but general manager David Griffin is reportedly "confident" that they can get an appropriate deal done with Smith to keep him for their title defense this coming season.
"I think the good news is JR wants to be here and we want JR back," said the GM, as per Cleveland.com. "These things sometimes take time and he has representatives that want him to be with us as well so when the time is right something will get done. I'm very confident about that."
This is the second straight summer that Smith had a holdup with regards to his contract with the Cavaliers. Last year, he opted out of his contract that would have earned $6.4 million before ultimately signing back for a lesser $5 million a year deal.
This time, the opted out of his $5.4 million contract option again, hoping to find a significant salary increase and he is "not wrong to ask for such a contract, particularly after the season he just posted", according to the Business Insider.
Smith just pulled off one of his most efficient seasons in 2015-2016 after averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 30.7 minutes of playing time per night, shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc on 510 tries, which is "the most of his career", the report said.
While Smith definitely deserves a raise next season, especially when compared to the deals his former Cavs teammates have snagged this summer like Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova, it would be "a difficult one for the Cavs to swallow".
The Cavs has one of the highest payrolls in the NBA and is now at the $79 million mark with only nine players in their roster and with LeBron James still not signed up. James is expected to agree to at least a $24 million salary next year, which would instantly put the team over the $94 million cap.
One thing that goes in favor of Smith, though, is Cleveland owns his Bird rights, which means they can go beyond the cap to re-sign him.
