Cavs Reporter 'Guesses' JR Smith Might Not Have a Role If He Isn't Traded
JR Smith could find playing time hard to come by if he's not traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers before the start of the 2018-19 season.
According to Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon (h/t Clutch Points' Tomer Azarly), the Cavaliers' backcourt logjam coupled with Smith's recent struggles may create a scenario where he's pushed to the bottom of the depth chart:
"I haven't talked to Tyronn Lue about this yet so we're kind of guessing here, but the roster was already taking shape to where you wondered how much playing time J.R. was going to get...
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"Because you could see a scenario where either George Hill & Collin Sexton start together or you could see Sexton, Rodney Hood, & Cedi Osman start together. Hill, Cedi & Hood could start. Of those 4 players, you could see 3 of them starting and none of them are named J.R.
"In the second unit, you've got Clarkson, Korver, Tristan - I'm assuming Nance Jr. starts - Channing, and Zizic.
"So then J.R. is in there somewhere. If he gets back to being the player he was a couple years ago, then yeah, you can start talking about him moving farther up the depth chart."
Smith, who turns 33 next month, produced passable figures last season by averaging 8.3 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting from the field, including 37.5 percent from three.
However, his effectiveness weened in a big way when the playoffs rolled around.
All told, Smith shot 34.8 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from distance across 22 postseason appearances.
The microwave scorer has since emerged as a potential trade candidate in the months that have followed the Cavaliers' NBA Finals sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
According to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe, the Houston Rockets have "kicked the tires" on a deal for Smith.
If the Cavaliers ultimately move Smith, it's hard to envision them netting any sort of significant return considering he will earn $14.7 million in the final guaranteed year of his contract.
But at this point, clearing up the depth chart could be enough of a driving force to pursue a swap before the season tips off in October.
