The Cleveland Cavaliers might have LeBron James back in the fold, but the contract situation with J.R. Smith hasn’t exactly worked itself out yet.
Reporters, obviously, want to know what in the world is going on between the Cavaliers and Smith.
Smith, though, isn’t too keen on talking about it, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor:
“I know you guys are going to ask me about my contract situation,” Smith said. “You’ve got my agent’s number so you all can call him. Rich Paul. You all know what it is. Klutch. You dig?”
Smith, now 30 years old, just spent his first full season with the Cavaliers and helped the team win a title while averaging 12.4 points per game on 30.7 minutes. He hit key shots in the postseason and while he surely wants to get back to playing with James and others, his agent Rich Paul has to understand there is more money on the market than ever thanks to the new television deal.
Fedor further explained the situation:
Paul has a reputation for being a tough negotiator. Last off-season, he dragged conversations between the Cavs and Thompson into October before Thompson agreed on a five-year deal worth $82 million.
Last year, James wound up publicly campaigning for Tristan Thompson to get a new deal and the Cavaliers eventually caved, giving the big man a solid contract. James wants Smith back in the fold despite the tricky cap situation, so it seems like a matter of time before he receives a new deal.
By all accounts, Smith hasn’t been looking elsewhere. That would normally be an unwise move by a free agent who wants to pick his team, but Smith has the benefit of LeBron in his corner. It’s a unique situation, and one sure to get resolved in time.
In the mean time, don’t ask Smith about it.
