NBA Rumors: Cavs Expected To Finally Rid Themselves Of Controversial Swingman

The next couple of days should leave J.R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers sitting on pins and needles with most expecting him to finally be waived by June 30. If the Cavs do not waive him on the said date, the 33-year-old will be owed $15.68 million next NBA season. The former NBA champion was being offered to multiple teams last season but nothing transpired -- apparently most avoiding the contract tied up to him.

Of course, the Cavs are still hoping to get some interest from other teams on Smith even if the chances of that happening are not so bright. From the looks of it, they will wait until the end of the month before doing the inevitable - something that could give the 18th overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft a big sigh of relief. He has been inactive since November 2018 with most ballclubs opting to wait and avoid adding more financial woes to their team salaries, Fansided reported.

As mentioned in a previous post, Smith is clueless on what his next step would be. There are several teams who could still make use of the veteran swingman such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks --all of which are trying to beef up for next NBA season. Seeing however how Smith has been inactive for almost eight months now, questions on his conditioning are a concern. Also, he would have to show teams that he still has the hops to keep in step with the younger guys the league has today.

Also, there are contract concerns to address. While most are looking at the $15.68 million deal which could go all the way down to $3.87 million, the money angle will factor as well for Smith moving forward. Seeing how he has been out of action, he is likely to be offered something although possibly within the range of the $3 million figure. Hence, his future could very well depend on whether pitched contracts are feasible or not.

Smith is in quite a hole, although he can still be an instrumental piece for any team who is looking for a veteran who can defend and hit it well from outside. The Lakers could be that team with their cash-strapped budget, not to mention a reunion with former Cavs teammate LeBron James. The purple and gold has eight roster spots and Smith could be a curious candidate for one of them. If not, there is a possibility that he may consider retirement.