J.R. Smith
The Milwaukee Bucks are interested in J.R. Smith if the Cleveland Cavaliers will part with him. JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after narrowly missing a half court shot during warms ups prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Quicken Loans Arena on October 21, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images/Jason Miller

J.R. Smith remains in limbo as the standoff between him and the Cleveland Cavaliers is still ongoing. But though his NBA future remains murky, a buyout can resolve all that. As of this writing, nothing close to that seems to be happening.

There are multiple NBA teams interested in Smith, most waiting for a buyout. Seeing that they won't gain anything by doing so, the 33-year-old continues to play the waiting game as the Cavs try to see how they can benefit from the situation.

According to The Athletic, Smith is guaranteed $3.9 million next season and $15.7 million if he is still on the roster by July 1. In a financial sense, the Cavs would do well to retain him on the roster and move to trade him before July 1. If no trade happens, he could be waived by June 30. It is all about the numbers crunch at this point, with the Cavs risking $12 million for an extra two months before deciding on a trade.

Smith has not seen action since November 2018. This was the time when the Cavs announced that he would no longer be part of the team. This came after the temperamental forward accused the team of not trying to win, instead focusing on developing young players and losing to get lottery picks.

As for the Bucks, it could be a wise stop for Smith. He is likely to come off the bench to spell the likes of Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton and/or Malcolm Brogdon. While he has shown that he still has the hops to keep in step with the younger NBA stars of today, it will be his experience that can help Milwaukee moving forward, the Bleacher Report noted.

But the question now is whether the Bucks would be willing to wait until June or July to get Smith. Interest now is obviously in preparation for the NBA playoffs, although everything seems bleak unless the Cavs agree to resolve the Smith issue.

Also, the Bucks need to realize that they are taking in a player who has had some off-court issues. The Bucks hold the best record in the NBA right now and are humming. Bringing in Smith comes with a price, distractions that head coach Mike Budenholzer may not want to risk.

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