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Smith no longer with Cavs as both sides work toward his 'future'

Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

JR Smith and the Cleveland Cavaliers have separated, and are proceeding toward a divorce. The veteran shooting guard will stay away from the team - effective immediately - as it works with Smith and his representation "regarding his future," the Cavaliers said in a statement on Tuesday.

It was initially reported by The Athletic's Joe Vardon that Smith and Cleveland are working toward a trade.

The development came soon after Smith went on record to reiterate his desire to leave the Cavaliers while declaring that the team isn't aiming for victories this season.

"The goal isn't to go out there and try to get as many wins as you can," he told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd. "I think the goal is to develop and lose to get lottery picks. I think that was always the plan."

Cleveland currently sits with a league-worst 2-13 record after making the Finals in each of the past four campaigns - a testament to the ground-shaking loss of superstar LeBron James via free agency this past offseason.

Smith initially revealed his desire to be traded earlier this month.

Complicating the Cavaliers' ability to move on from Smith is his reluctance to accept a buyout. If he doesn't, the team would need to work around his considerable cap hit in any trade. The 32-year-old is owed $14.7 million for this season and $15.7 million for 2019-20, although the latter contract is only guaranteed for $3.8 million.

Smith's impact on the floor has also been on the decline in recent years, particularly his scoring output, which has decreased in each campaign since 2014-15. Through 11 appearances this season, he's averaging a career-low 6.7 points per game on just 34.2 percent shooting from the field.

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