J.R. Smith certainly played a huge role in helping the Cleveland Cavaliers secure this year's NBA championship, which is why he is expected to re-sign with the team. However, there's also a big chance that another team, such as the Miami Heat, might swoop in to sign him.
Currently, Smith is available on the NBA market since he is still a free agent. However, given the recent happenings in the NBA, such as Kevin Durant's decision to join the Golden State Warriors and Dwayne Wade getting acquired by the Chicago Bulls, Smith, too, might surprise the entire basketball community by choosing a different team, according to Bleacher Report.
For one, since he is coming from a tight group who just won the championships, Smith could do what LeBron James is reportedly doing, which is asking for a higher contract with the Cavs. Yielding to James' request will probably be a no-brainer for Cleveland since he is the hero who brought home the championship title after over 50 years.
However, if the Cavs decide to agree to James' high asking price, then this might leave the team with insufficient cap space to sign other key players, such as Smith. Or, Miami could come after Smith with a tempting offer.
It probably wouldn't come as a surprise if the Heat take on this route since they just recently lost Wade. As a result, the team is probably on the lookout for a replacement shooting guard with championship experience. Smith would also make a good fit in Miami due to his veteran status and experience.
But then again, this could still depend on Smith's loyalty to Cleveland. After all, he's probably determined to stick around with the same group of guys that he made basketball history with.
Cleveland will most likely do the same by doing whatever it takes to keep the team's core group intact. Hopefully though, both Smith and the Cavs will be able to see eye-to-eye once the contract negotiations for the players begin. The team, however, probably shouldn't wait too long to re-sign him since other teams are surely looking to get him for their own rosters.
