As reported, JR Smith has been yo-yo'ed to and fro the Cleveland Cavaliers' active roster, due to discordance between management and the coaching staff. In fact, Henny God was one of the few Cavs brave enough to lash out against management, after Koby Altman seemingly placed the franchise in "tank mode." Well, it turns out, JR Smith may be of service somewhere to someone else, sometime soon, if NBA insider Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer is to be believed.
According to O'Connor, there are two interested parties in the JR Smith sweepstakes: the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans. The reason O'Connor thinks JR is attracting interest from those clubs is that only $3.9 of his annual salary is guaranteed through the 2019-2020 season. At under $4 million, dealing for JR Smith is a risk some NBA might be willing to incur.
Another NBA insider speaking with AmicoHoops believes the Cavs fully intend on turning over their entire veteran roster by a February 7 deadline, an operation that is well underway, beginning with the wildly unpopular Kyle Korver trade to the Utah Jazz. Next, George Hill came off the books yesterday afternoon, in a trade that reunited the Cavs organization with fan favorite Matthew Dellavedova. The question that persists: do these players, JR-included, have anything left in the tan?