Cleveland Cavaliers: Two players that need to be traded

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CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 2: J.R. Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks for a pass over Kent Bazemore #24 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena on May 2, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

J.R Smith

Having a solid mixture of youth and savvy veterans is important to a rebuilding process. The Cavaliers will want an abundance of young talent while also having mentors in the locker room to help teach them.

No offense to J.R. Smith but he just isn’t the type of veteran I want mentoring my young stars.

Smith is obviously a talented player. It’s no accident that Smith has been in the league for 15 years. Having a career that long is something to be extremely proud of.

However, Smith has always been a reflection of his environment.

As the team begins to struggle, so does Smith. His history of causing locker room problems with the New York Knicks and even the Cavaliers is enough to make any NBA team weary. A player who throws soup at an assistant head coach — and in the midst of a chaotic season — may not be a solid role model for a young prospect.

This is why the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade Smith quickly. He is unlikely to provide any real upside to the team. His risk of becoming a major detriment should be the reason the Cavaliers ship him away.

Smith’s shooting ability should be valuable to a few NBA teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder is one team that specifically needs to improve their perimeter shooting. The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers lack an ideal amount of three-point threats as well.

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If the Cleveland Cavaliers trade Tristan Thompson or J.R. Smith, they’ll make quite a few fans happy.