NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on JR Smith and Lakers Interest in Trevor Ariza
The Houston Rockets have contacted the Cleveland Cavaliers to express exploratory interest in acquiring JR Smith, reported Marc Stein of the New York Times on Monday.
The Rockets (11-14) have underperformed to start the season and are looking to make a deal that will spark a turnaround.
Smith could be a good fit in Houston's system because of his ability to hit open shots from behind the arc and his ability to defend.
While the 33-year old shooting guard only shot 30.8 percent from deep this year, his career average is 37.3 percent.
The former Sixth Man of the Year played alongside LeBron James, who drew double teams and kicked it out to the open man.
Smith fed on those open shots, connecting on 40.5 percent of open shots and 38 percent of wide open shots last season.
He'll see similar schematics with the Rockets as James Harden and Chris Paul routinely draw double teams and kick the ball out to shooters.
Houston is an ideal situation for Smith because they are going all in for the opportunity to play for a championship, something he felt Cleveland was no longer doing.
"I don't think the goal is to win. The goal isn't to go out there and try to get as many wins as you can," he told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd. "I think the goal is to develop and lose to get lottery picks. I think that was always the plan."
Smith didn't want to be a part of that plan and has been on hiatus from the Cavaliers since Nov. 20 when the team announced that he would no longer be with the team while they work to trade him.
Cleveland expressed how appreciative they were for Smith's help in winning the 2016 NBA Championship, but he's widely still shunned for his blunder in Game 1 of the Finals, when he grabbed an offensive rebound with 4.5 seconds left and dribbled out the clock to force overtime instead of going for a shot to win it.
The Cavaliers went on to lose the game and the series.
Smith caught an endless array of criticism for his mistake and has since tried to move on.
"I think JR is one of the most resilient guys I’ve ever been around," LeBron said at the time. "He probably took that loss as hard as anybody on the team. But one thing about J.R., he has an uncanny ability to bounce back. I think people have seen that throughout our postseason runs, where he hasn’t played well or played to his ability that he thinks he should have played, and then the next game he comes on and shoots the ball extremely well. It’s just very locked in."
Houston would be a welcome change of scenery for the 15-year veteran. They would value his experience and he'd get a chance to earn playing time.
Smith, who is guaranteed $18.59 this year, has been engaging in his own workouts while he waits for a new home, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon.
Trevor Ariza to the Lakers?
Trevor Ariza is a wanted man.
His name has been floating around in trade rumors since Marc Stein of The New York Times reported that the Phoenix Suns would put the 33-year old swingman on the trade block after Dec. 15.
Among the teams vying for his services via trade is the Los Angeles Lakers, who are engaged in discussions with the Suns to acquire him, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski also reported that both teams are seeking a third team in the deal that would be interested in landing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Additionally, Wojnarowski's sources revealed that both teams have made some progress, but no agreements have been made and they will continue to talk to other interested parties around the league.
Phoenix (4-22) has a dearth of playmakers so they are looking for a point guard and a draft pick, while the Lakers are looking for a consistent contributor who can hit the wide open shot when LeBron James is double-teamed.
Ariza's numbers are down this season, but he is a proven asset that helped the Lakers win a title in 2009 and was a vital part of the Houston Rockets success last year.
He's a proven three-and-D guy, but he's also an asset on the trade market because of his expiring one-year, $15 million contract. Any team that takes him on will have salary cap flexibility going into the summer.
Ariza, who connects on 35.3 percent of his shots from three for his career, is averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season.
He can't be moved until Dec. 15, which is when free agent players that signed this past summer can be traded.
The only rub for the Lakers is Caldwell-Pope's veto power.
The 25-year old guard, who also signed a one-year deal this past summer for $12 million, can put the kibosh on any potential deal he doesn't like.
His agent, Rich Paul, is working with L.A., though, in finding a home where his client will have a larger role and a chance to play for his next long-term contract.
Caldwell-Pope is only averaging 8.6 points per game in 21 minutes this year, but he put up 13.4 points while shooting 38.3 percent from deep when he played extended minutes in 2017-18.
