5. J.R. Smith
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
JR Smith agreed to push his guarantee date to August 1st, giving the Cavaliers more time to try and trade him — a league source said
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 29, 2019
This comes as no surprise as the Cleveland Cavaliers spent the whole season trying to trade the costly, seldom-used J.R. Smith.
The shooting guard is on an expiring contract at $15 million, but it will be hard to find a partner willing to take on a player who rarely played last year, while his impact was already questioned, at that cost.
Should they not find a trade partner by that date, they will waive or reach an agreement on a buyout. Either way, he then will be able to sign at the veteran minimum and rumblings of him reuniting with his former teammate LeBron James have already started to circulate.
Smith does not look like a great fit, as his defense has never been one of his strong points. His reputation and history also raise some question. No one can forget his mistake in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA FInals.
Anyway, he would certainly come at a cheap price while, once again, his familiarity with LeBron could breathe a second life into his career. During Cleveland’s championship season he averaged 12.4 points shooting 40 percent from three, showing some glimpse of defense which did not go unnoticed.
Things did not go as well the following season, but still, he remained a productive piece until last year, when a demolished Cleveland gave prominence to youth, letting him play just 11 games.