Report: Cavaliers assistants frustrated with lack of contracts

J.R. Smith isn't the only free agent left for the Cleveland Cavaliers to resolve.

The Cavaliers have yet to reach deals with most of their assistant coaches, and frustration from the staff has peaked, ESPN's Chris Haynes reports.

"Frustration is at its worst regarding why they do not have contracts," Haynes said in a Facebook video. "Their contracts expired July 1. This affects Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones, Phil Handy, James Posey, Jim Boylen, and to a certain extent, Larry Drew."

This continues a strange trend for the Cavaliers with respect to their coaching staff. It was revealed this summer that Tyronn Lue coached most of last season without signing a new contract after his promotion from assistant to head coach.

It took until late June for Lue to ink a five-year, $35-million contract to cement his position atop the Cavaliers.

Haynes mentions that Lue's assistants expected their own contracts to be resolved once Lue wrapped up his deal, but thus far they remain free agents.

The only assistant who does have a contract is Larry Drew, but there's even a problem on that front. The Cavaliers picked up their 2016-17 team option for Drew, but that was based off his previous contract that was signed when he was third in command back when David Blatt held court.

Drew's role has since expanded significantly, and Lue wants to cement Drew's status by naming him the associate head coach, but Haynes reports that there's been resistance on that front.

To a larger extent, Lue has pushed for his entire championship-winning staff to be returned. But for the moment, the sidelines remain awfully sparse.