As J.R. Smith's unrestricted free agency drags on toward NBA training camp, the Cleveland Cavaliers are apparently questioning how much the shooting guard is worth.
The Cavs are reluctant to pay Smith an asking price that the marketplace does not support, reports Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, citing a team source.
Smith opted out of $5.3 million next season to become a free agent for the second straight summer. In 2015, the same decision cost him about $1.4 million in salary when he opted out of his contract and was then forced to settle for less with the Cavaliers.
It's believed Smith is looking for a deal in the neighborhood of $15 million annually. And given his on-court contributions, that's probably not an outrageous request. However, the Cavaliers are already more than $20 million over the salary cap. And while they can go above the cap to re-sign an incumbent player like Smith, the fact is, an absence of interest in him from other teams gives Cleveland plenty of reasons to play hardball in negotiations.
At this point, Smith's own comments and words from teammates like LeBron James indicate it's simply a matter of time before he officially returns to the Cavs. The extended impasse isn't new for the organization either; last year, restricted free-agent Tristan Thompson didn't come to an agreement with the team until the brink of the regular season.
