J.R. Smith has re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers to a four-year contract worth $57 million after a lengthy stalemate. The contract fully guarantees $45 million over the first three seasons of the deal, regardless what happens in the last year.
Smith wanted $15 million a year, but the Cavaliers countered with an offer of only $10-11 million, resulting in a contract stalemate. However, when the Philadelphia 76ers showed a lot of interest to bring in a veteran shooting guard and were looking to nab Smith, the Cavaliers acted swiftly to protect their interest, CBS Sports reported. The 76ers also tried to lure Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs.
The Cavaliers had the upper hand against the 76ers as Smith had expressed his interest in staying in Cleveland. The team's superstar LeBron James also threw his support in signing Smith.
Last month, James said that Smith is just too important to the team for him to miss the training camp, according to Sporting News. He was alluding to last year's situation when a contract dispute kept Tristan Thompson from participating in the Cavaliers' training camp.
However, the contact negotiation did cause Smith to miss the entire training camp and all the Cavaliers' preseason games.
It was not the first time for Smith to extend contract negotiations. Last year, he remained a free agent until August while he waited for the Cavaliers to give in to his demands, according to Bleacher Report.
Smith is expected to start with the Cavaliers, after averaging 12.4 points while shooting 40 percent from the 3-point area in the past season. He was also instrumental in their title conquest.
He was seventh in the NBA in 3-point conversions, sinking 204. In the playoffs, he connected over 50s percent of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks. His shooting prowess opened up driving lanes for James and Kyrie Irving. He also showed improved defense.
