Three Potential Landing Spots For J.R. Smith (And His Valuable Contract)
Trail Blazers
The Blazers are projected to be a taxpaying team, with roughly $126MM in guaranteed salary on the books. The luxury tax threshold is expected to come in at $132MM and the team will have trouble bringing back Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood—two key members of their playoff run—without skyrocketing over the tax line.
Acquiring Smith would allow Portland to reshuffle its financial portfolio. Evan Turner($18.6MM next season) is the team’s third-high paid player. Maurice Harkless($11.5MM), and Meyers Leonard ($11.3MM) are fifth and sixth, respectively. If the Blazers feel Kanter or Hood are higher priorities than any of the three, they can swap one of those deals for Smith’s and give themselves a chance to compete for their guys on the free agent market without the internal dilemma of luxury tax concerns.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are expected to be active this offseason, searching the free agent market for additions to the Kristaps Porzingis–Luka Doncic core. They’ve been connected to Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, and Kemba Walker.
Dallas would probably love to get out from Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract (approximately $20MM next season), but the fact that his contract still has multiple years left on it, running through the 2020/21 campaign, makes him a hard sell.
Shedding Courtney Lee ($12.7MM) may be easier and would give Dallas more flexibility this offseason. Dallas could attempt to entice Cleveland with a prospect like Justin Jackson or offer up the No. 37 overall pick in this year’s draft in order to acquire Smith. It’s not clear if anything short of a first-round pick will be enough to pry Smith away from the Cavs.
Brooklyn Nets
Whispers that the Nets are contenders to sign two max free agents can’t get too loud until the team clears out enough cap space to accommodate two stars. As our Salary Cap Digestindicates, Brooklyn doesn’t even have the ability to sign one max free agent without renouncing D’Angelo Russell or making additional transactions.
Moving Allen Crabbe, who has one year and $18.5MM left on his deal, would aid their quest for a star summer. The team has three selections among the first 31 picks in the upcoming draft (No. 17, 27, 31) and attaching one of those picks to Crabbe in exchange for Smith would create a clear path to additional cap space.
They most likely get a 1st round pick along with a contract, the last thing Gilbert is worried about is money.
J.R. Smith for Crabbe and a 1st (17th or 27th) makes a lot of sense.
They better do something.Anthony Davis trade rumors: David Griffin loves Brandon Ingram; 'several' within Pelicans loved Lakers' original offer
You guys love rumors...so here is another one lol. We have seen this one plenty though, seems legit....possibly...maybe...probably not...absolutely...hell no...hell yes...who knows
They better do something.
Plaschke is a hater.
But, rumor mill is churning.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times on ESPN LA: “I’m hearing that, if they whiff on free agency, and if they whiff on a trade – which I don’t know how likely that is, but if that happens, they’ve got big trouble with LeBron. Why would LeBron – I mean, the LeBron era could be over before it starts here. I heard this for the first time yesterday. Somebody very connected said “You know what, if they whiff, LeBron’s going to say either, ‘I’m out of here’ or ‘Get me out of here,’ or the Lakers better just might as well just get him out of here
They better do something.
Plaschke is a hater.
But, rumor mill is churning.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times on ESPN LA: “I’m hearing that, if they whiff on free agency, and if they whiff on a trade – which I don’t know how likely that is, but if that happens, they’ve got big trouble with LeBron. Why would LeBron – I mean, the LeBron era could be over before it starts here. I heard this for the first time yesterday. Somebody very connected said “You know what, if they whiff, LeBron’s going to say either, ‘I’m out of here’ or ‘Get me out of here,’ or the Lakers better just might as well just get him out of here
Anthony Davis trade rumors: David Griffin loves Brandon Ingram; 'several' within Pelicans loved Lakers' original offer
You guys love rumors...so here is another one lol. We have seen this one plenty though, seems legit....possibly...maybe...probably not...absolutely...hell no...hell yes...who knows
You heard it here, Shane says AD to the Lakers is a done deal lol.
I see Plaschke, I ignore. The guy is the biggest "sky is falling" hometown reporter I can think of.
The Montalban of journalistsExactly. Dude is ridiculous. I mostly just laugh at his stuff.
Cannot say I mind if bad things happen to LA, but I don't blame you one bit. Seems like Plaschke to LA = Cowhurd to the BrownsI see Plaschke, I ignore. The guy is the biggest "sky is falling" hometown reporter I can think of.
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-heat-could-interested-jr-040042218.html
Via The Athletic:
A team that has expressed an interest in a salary-designed trade of J.R. Smith: the Miami Heat, sources said. The Heat also have contracts they could look to move in the offseason in a deal such as this, and would have to absorb Smith’s deal.
There’s no shortage of candidates on the Miami roster could be included in a trade. Some potential options whose future with the team isn’t clear are Ryan Anderson, Kelly Olynyk, and Dion Waiters. And of course, Hassan Whiteside’s name always seems to get floated in these things.
Via The Athletic:
A team that has expressed an interest in a salary-designed trade of J.R. Smith: the Miami Heat, sources said. The Heat also have contracts they could look to move in the offseason in a deal such as this, and would have to absorb Smith’s deal.
There’s no shortage of candidates on the Miami roster could be included in a trade. Some potential options whose future with the team isn’t clear are Ryan Anderson, Kelly Olynyk, and Dion Waiters. And of course, Hassan Whiteside’s name always seems to get floated in these things.
WORST NIGHTMARE!!!!!!
J. Johnson makes 31M over the next 2 years......so if the Cavs dealt Jr Smith for him, they would basically be absorning 28M in contracts.For fucks sake!!
i actually think Jr for Crabbe and 17 overall is pretty solid. Id do that--- maybe try and package 17 and 25 to go up into the early teens.....
J. Johnson makes 31M over the next 2 years......so if the Cavs dealt Jr Smith for him, they would basically be absorning 28M in contracts.
would that be worth it to get the 13th pick from Miami?
personally id rather just take the 1 year of crabbe from the nets for 17
i actually think Jr for Crabbe and 17 overall is pretty solid. Id do that--- maybe try and package 17 and 25 to go up into the early teens.....
I would be ECSTATIC if they could get a guy like Culver or Reddish, and then add a guy with some risk but great upside like Sekou.......
that would be a helluva draft.
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah i just dont see Johnson waiving that option, lol. Highly highly unlikely.Actually yeah Crabbe can actually be an asset too off the bench. Better than James Johnson...another shooter for next year.
So...
James Johnson and the 13th - (could decline player option)
or
Allen Crabbe and the 17th
Could pair both those picks with the 25th to move up to around 10 maybe with one of the Hawks picks?
I think Portland would be more willing to give their 1st than Miami would anyway. Miami might want to just include a future 1st