The Cleveland Cavaliers signed point guard Toney Douglas over the weekend.
J.R. Smith still sits without a contract.
Smith, a key part of Cleveland’s title run, hasn’t wanted to play anywhere else, but hasn’t been able to come to an agreement with the Cavaliers. His reaction to Douglas inking a deal with his preferred team says it all:
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— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) October 3, 2016
To be fair, Douglas is 30 years old and coming off a year in which he averaged 8.7 points and 2.6 assists with the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s on a prove-it deal, meaning he might not make it through camp. Sooner or later, though, the Cavaliers had to get someone under contract for depth purposes while the standoff with Smith continues.
Smith has LeBron James in his corner, at least (NSFW language):
LeBron says he hasn’t been a part of JR Smith negotiations, wants him back soon. #Cavs pic.twitter.com/fnzl2rRIL8
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) September 30, 2016
It’s hard to see the Cavaliers entering the year without Smith when LeBron campaigns for it. With Douglas in the fold, though, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
