J.R. Smith Is A Necessity For The Cavs, Must Be Re-Signed

Almost a month into free agency, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting shooting guard remains unsigned, but that doesn’t make J.R. Smith expendable.

Sparking memories last summer’s dance with Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith seems to be having somewhat of a contract holdout with the Cleveland Cavaliers this time around.

In a summer where the cap spike has resulted in large deals for mediocre players, it has been reported that Smith is chasing a salary in the range of $15M per year as reported by Basketball Insiders‘ Steve Kyler.

Is Smith worth it? In this day and age, absolutely. With relatively unproven players such as Allen Crabbe and Evan Turner getting large paydays in excess of $15M per season, a known commodity like Smith is a bargain at that price.

While he is a bargain for any team in the league at that price, he is an absolute necessity for the Cavaliers, given their cap situation.

After exploring the market last year, Smith was reportedly given a reality check when no teams bid for his signature, returning to the Cavs on a 2-year, $10M deal.

Smith, who’s highest earning year was the $6M he received from the Denver Nuggets in 2010-11, is looking to cash in on the new TV money available to NBA teams, and rightfully so.

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By the time next season rolls around, Smith will be 31 years of age, making this contract his only opportunity for a significant pay day.

So why do the Cavs need to pay him?

Smith is coming off arguably one of his best regular seasons and clearly his best postseason run of his career.

In a Cavalier offense that is predicated on floor spacing, Smith was a constant threat from the perimeter, shooting 40.0 percent from long-distance, his best shooting season since 2007-08.

Smith has developed a reputation of being unreliable and streaky, but he continued his impressive play on the Cavs’ run to their maiden NBA Championship.

In 21 playoff games, Smith shot 43 percent from three-point range, including some key makes in the Cavs’ Game 7 Finals win.

However, Smith’s known outside threat meant defenders closed quicker, in a hope to run him off the three-point line. On these instances, Smith showed the ability to work his way inside and finish efficiently at the rim, converting 80 percent of his shots in the restricted area (0-3 ft).

Smith’s all-round offense resulted in him having a true shooting percentage of 61.3 percent, another career best save for a four-game playoff run in 2007-08 with the Nuggets.

According to Basketball Reference, Smith also had 1.4 offensive win shares, easily the best figure of his playoff career.

However, Smith’s prowess was not limited to the offensive end. With the Cavaliers lacking defensive wing players, Smith was pivotal on the defensive end, particularly in the NBA Finals.

Matched up on the Warriors’ sharpshooter Klay Thompson for most of the finals, Smith was terrific in nullifying the guard’s threat.

According to NBA.com, throughout the NBA Finals, Smith’s opponents shot 4.8 percent below their normal percentage with Smith being the primary defender. Smith’s ability to stay close to his man around the myriad of screens that Warrior guards run through was a key factor in his ability to stymy Thompson for much of the series.

As a result of Smith’s defensive intensity, Thompson, who came into the NBA Finals on the back of a scorching performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, struggled shooting the ball as he made just 42.7 percent of his shots, including just 35 percent of his three-point shots.

Smith’s emergence as a competent two-way player, combined with the Cavs’ salary cap situation makes him irreplaceable if the Cavaliers want to win back-to-back championships.

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Due to acquiring Smith through a trade with the New York Knicks, the Cavaliers own Smith’s full bird rights, meaning they are able to go over their cap in order to re-sign him to any price, even his requested $15M.

Despite having Smith’s bird rights, a salary of $15 million for him is likely to see the Cavaliers go over the Luxury Tax threshold.

However, if Smith were to sign elsewhere, the Cavaliers do not have nearly enough cap room to sign someone capable enough to fill Smith’s role.

Smith’s agent Rich Paul, is the same agent of his Cavalier teammates, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson. As Paul showed last summer with Thompson, he is a shrewd operator and is not likely to settle for a penny less than Smith deserves.

However, Cleveland’s owner Dan Gilbert has shown previously that money is not an issue for him, and look for him to do so again relatively soon with Smith back in a Cavaliers uniform for the ring ceremony on opening night.