NBA Rumors: J R Smith Stalemate Heats Up Ties to 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers Shooting Guard J R Smith contract talks have stalled. As if on queue, he is already being linked to the Philadelphia 76ers

I guess it’s making the NBA top ten playlist. NBA veteran seeks better deal with his current team. Talks stall. Rumors suddenly appear about the Philadelphia 76ers backing up a Brink’s truck filled with cash to sign the player. Silence. Then an announcement that the veteran has signed with his original team, for much more than was originally offered. Guard Jamal Crawford rejected a one year $25 Million offer from the Philadelphia, using that to get a better deal form his team

So too, the Philadelphia 76ers made a huge offer to San Antonio Spurs’ veteran guard manu Ginobili, only to have the same result:

So now with two down, the next NBA veteran at the guard position, J.R. Smith, has landed at a spot where his contract negotiations with the Cleveland Cavaliers have stalled to the point where now whispers are that he would consider signing elsewhere to bring home the big paycheck.  At least, that is the story now by King James Gospel writer Quenton Albertie.

Why do the Philadelphia 76ers continuously land in these rumors?   They are one of the few teams with remaining Cap space to absorb the salary demands of Smith.  While many of these stories end up linking the 76ers, the why ends up in the same place – money.  But there are more reasons for the team to be linked to Smith.

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This Is Not Their First Rodeo

J.R. Smith has been involved in the contract waiting game before – just last year to be exact.  Then, it was the Philadelphia 76ers who were linked to the player as well.

At the time, it was President Sam Hinkie at the helm, and his interest in Smith was for the value of the player in the long run. Now the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be a team running a “who’s who” of veteran NBA guards, and in the process, have reached out to quite a few.

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With guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot eligible for assignment to the D-League Delaware 87ers, and with guard Furkan Korkmaz stashed in a European assignment, the team has some flexibility with the guard position.  In essence, the team could offer Smith a huge dollar two-year deal, bring his championship caliber talents and experience to the midst of a very young and impressionable roster, and benefit virtually 24 hours a day from his presence on the roster.

Smith is a twelve year NBA veteran who now knows the joy of hoisting an NBA championship. That “quest” for gold is now over.  He is also a traveller.  He’s played in twelve seasons, but with just 1.5 years as a Cleveland Cavalier.  So far, he’s had to wait, bide his time, and hope he gets paid by the team.  He can score, and his 40 percent shooting from the perimeter looks awfully enticing to a team looking for perimeter shooting.

And Ben Simmons presence on the Philadelphia 76ers roster may be enough to pique Smith’s interest.

This could be the year that he’s ready to skip the drama and just get a contract, get paid, and get playing.

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This Might Happen… By Accident

So far, we’ve seen how NBA players and agents have used the Philadelphia 76ers to milk their teams for more money.   The Philadelphia 76ers have reached out at least twice to back court veterans, offered substantial money, and ended up with nothing to show for it.

The other team came up significantly in their offer.

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But this is the reigning NBA championship team now, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are not so quick to jump under a threat of losing a player.   As long as the team has LeBron James, they will be set for playoff level competition.

But the path has already been walked by two NBA veteran guards, and has landed both times with the guard returning with a fat wallet to his original team. But the third time is usually the charm, particularly in the case where neither side really covets the other.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team looking to become a winner, to build, to improve.  That means a team with discipline, with constant measuring, evaluation and feedback. That is the perfect environment for a hungry player, a player who is seeking to achieve something significant, or to pay it forward to the next wave of young NBA hopefuls.

It’s  purgatory for a player like J.R. Smith.

Smith is a work hard, play hard style professional.  While the work hard is great, it’s that “play hard” that the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to steer clear of.  Per Josh Wilson, who touched base on this possibility several weeks ago:

"f the Sixers are going to sign a veteran this summer, it shouldn’t be someone like Smith. Smith has never been a leader, and would be a truly poor example to a lot of these younger guys. J.R. is all about partying, the nightlife scene, and being a crazy dude. Somehow, he makes all of that work alongside his career, but he would be a negative influence on guys like Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel who already have poor track records as far as off-the-court behavior is concerned."

If the Philadelphia have made or will make a significant offer to this player, they must realize that this time everything could turn out significantly different from other such offers.   In this case, the Cavaliers may simply call Smith’s bluff, forcing the player to accept the only offer on the table – that of the Philadelphia 76ers.

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While Smith brings expertise, strong skills in areas of need, and is coming fresh off his NBA championship, he also brings a style of discipline which should give the Philadelphia 76ers pause before pursuing.  Can Smith be content to promote and elevate the play of younger teammates for the next year or two of his lengthy career, or does he see the sun setting and wants to win as much as he can while he can?