When will the Cavaliers bring back J.R. Smith?

With NBA free agency well underway, when will the Cleveland Cavaliers re-sign J.R. Smith?

During the weekend, it was reported by Cleveland.com that J.R. Smith is expected to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With it being Day 12 of the NBA free-agency, the Cavaliers still have some other minor moves to finish out their roster. General Manager David Griffin has not been complacent – he also has Tyronn Lue’s contract to negotiate.

The Cavaliers premiere free-agent LeBron James is once again in “wait-and-see mode”, waiting to re-sign to be sure the Cavaliers retain the free agent of the season for them and in James’ mind – J.R. Smith.

James has said that Smith has transformed himself into a two-way player. Anyone who watched throughout the season, and especially through the playoffs, has seen how Smith’s defense has impacted many a game.

During the NBA Finals, he was tasked with shutting down one of the best shooting guards in the league in Klay Thompson.

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A player of Thompson’s caliber will usually get their average against even the best defenders in the league. However, on the NBA’s biggest stage and during the 2016 NBA Finals, Smith was able to hold Thompson to 41.9 percent shooting, his season average was 47 percent. More importantly Smith held one of the finest three-point shooters to just 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, his season average was 42.5 percent.

With his impressive effort to stick to Thompson and keep him from getting easy looks, Smith showcased his defensive prowess on the way to becoming an NBA champion.

It has not been reported that any other teams have contacted Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, Smith’s agent who is also James’ and Tristan Thompson’s agent as well. While the Cavaliers have come to appreciate and trust Smith – NBA teams still have their doubts.

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One of the reasons why they have been steering clear? They feel Smith could become the problematic, partying player he had become in New York, having had a run-in with the law as well. But with James’ guidance and trust J.R. has blossomed into a well-seasoned, two-way player.

During the Championship parade, James was quoted as saying about the trade that brought Smith to the Cavaliers along with Iman Shumpert, “I’d love to have J.R. Smith.”

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Previously James had said, “They said they would throw in J.R. Smith as part of the deal. Throw in I asked? I said get him here.”

James, now 31, had known Smith, now 30, since Smith played high school basketball at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, NJ and James was at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, OH. James told Cavs Griffin he would take care of Smith. Griffin pulled the trigger.

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Smith and James have a bond that goes beyond basketball. They have a friendship and mutual respect that makes them want each other to perform admirably, as a sign of their respect.

It has also been rumored that the Cavaliers are willing to offer a three-year deal approaching $30 million, as mentioned by Michael Reghi, on Drennen Live – a Cleveland/Ohio sports-talk TV show on SportsTime Ohio.

This is a fair offer when compared to other aging veteran shooting guards. Jamal Crawford, 38, received a 3-year, $42 million dollar contract to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Joe Johnson, 35, received a 2-year $22 million dollar contract from the Utah Jazz.

Expect the Cavs to re-sign Smith within the month, as they are also working on negotiations to bring in Chris “Birman” Andersen as a big off the bench.

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While the money could be better elsewhere for Smith, the chance to head to his third consecutive NBA Finals and the chemistry built playing alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will no doubt keep Smith in The Land.