4 reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade JR Smith

Reason No. 4: Smith wouldn’t thrive without LeBron

Smith is a special breed that might soon be fading out. The elite three-point shooter that is neither a superior defender nor capable of creating a small-ball lineup doesn’t have much use anymore. However, it hasn’t always been that way with Smith.

Smith, during his best season, averaged 18.1 points. He was taking defenders off the dribble like Jordan Clarkson does now for the Cavs. Now, almost 33, Smith’s athleticism is tanking harder than the Atlanta Hawks were last season.

Last season, Smith shot 64% of his shots from downtown and over 90% of those shots were assisted on. That to say, without a creative playmaking threat to gift Smith the right pass at the right time, he might be far less effective.

Already playing some of the worst basketball of his career, Smith would be asked to be more of a playmaker. And, since he played horribly in the postseason, I’d rather have Clarkson trying to create his own looks than Smith.

Smith has overstayed his welcome in Cleveland and would need to prove his value or face the sad reality of being on the trading block.