As of this morning, unrestricted free agent J.R. Smith still remains to be unsigned. Key words, unrestricted and unsigned. Opting out of potentially $6.4M to play for the Cavs, J.R. is in free agency free fall, attempting to attract a higher pay out. Without any guaranteed offers in his back pocket, J.R. did what J.R. does. Be unpredictable.
The drought of offers from championship contenders is not to be attributed to his athleticism, but, his character. The 2013 NBA 6th man of the year is a solid guard with the ability to quickly shoot the rock from anywhere on the court. Unfortunately, he grossed over 600K in fines from the association for fighting, fouls, and my favourite: un-sportsmen like conduct on social media. Hi Tahiry.
The question is still at large: why did he opt out? It worked out the first time! In 2013 he opted out of a $2.9M contract to play with the New York Knicks for the 2013-14 season. He paraded free agency before agreeing to a 3 year deal with the Knicks for $17.95M over 3 Years. In the first year of this contract, J.R. Smith was guaranteed to earn $5.6M. Almost double.
It's been a wild free agency period with teams locking in players for max contracts, and over $1.5 billion signed within the first two days. J.R. Smith is still without a nickel. There are three key takeaways from J.R's bet, for other athletes, entrepreneurs, and everyone in business.
First, understand the market and understand it well. The NBA team salary cap is set to soar with the TV money bubble in the upcoming seasons, and therefore the market conditions will follow suit. However, there are only a handful of teams currently under the salary cap: Trail Blazers, 76ers, Celtics, Jazz, Nuggets, Pacers and Magics. Only the Trail Blazers and the 76ers can offer J.R. a contract higher than $6.4M without going above the salary cap. Cleveland is tens of millions over the salary cap, and a $7M - $9M contract for J.R. would bring the team a luxury tax of almost double.
Second, have a solid back up plan. It's rare for athletes to opt out of contracts without concrete interest from other teams. J.R. would be a great fit on most teams, but he does not like losing; this only leaves us with a couple of options… J.R. did confirm in interviews that he received offers from other teams ranging from $7M - $9M, but they were not perfect situations. The perfect situation is in Cleveland, a championship contender with a roster full of all star level players.
Third, and the axiom to any great being, believe in your talents! J.R. knew how his character was perceived around the league but he was confident that his athleticism will prevail. Many analysts and sportswriters believe that J.R. has yet to reach his full potential, and it's only a matter of time before he unleashes 3s consistently. He showed his prowess in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks, draining eight 3 pointers. He was there to help the Cavs sweep the Hawks, and he will be there to help his team reign in the 2015-16 season. It also helps when the consensual best player in the world, Lebron James, wants you back on the roster.
The first regular season game is on October 27th, 2015, and with 30 teams vying for a championship, J.R. Smith will certainly find himself a good home. The question remains, will his $6.4M bet pay off?
Don't you ever change, J.R.
Share This Article
