5 teams J.R. Smith should sign with for 2016-17 season

With the start of the season fast approaching, here are five teams J.R. Smith should sign with.

J.R. Smith became a social media sensation after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title in June, with numerous shirtless pictures. He opted-out of his contract and became an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he remains available. LeBron James has public called out the organization for the ongoing contract impasse, but the Cavaliers have not yet re-signed Smith.

The two sides are reportedly $4-$5 million apart in contract talks, with Smith seeking $15 million per year and the Cavaliers offering something in the $10-$11 million range. But the Cavaliers have been bidding against themselves up to this point, so they are absolutely right to hold firm with what they clearly feel is a good offer.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin expanded on the exact terms of Cleveland’s offer to Smith. A four-year deal worth more than $42 million guaranteed is apparently on the table, which compares favorably to the deal Jamal Crawford got from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason. But Crawford’s deal included $30.5 million guaranteed, and no one would say he’s less valuable on the floor than Smith.

James, even though it’s obviously not acknowledged by the organization, is essentially Cleveland’s de facto general manager. If he wants someone with him on the Cavaliers, the organization has given away their power and it behooves general manager (in title) David Griffin to get it done and appease James.

Back in August, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported Smith was only considering signing with the Cavaliers. It’s hard to think that has changed in the nearly two months since, with little rumored market for Smith’s services outside of Cleveland.

It seems like a matter of time before Smith and the Cavaliers come to an agreement, but the longer things linger some doubt will come to the surface. With that in mind, here are five teams Smith should sign with.

5. Utah Jazz

The Jazz added Joe Johnson in free agency this offseason, but they are expected to be without forward Gordon Hayward for six weeks due to a broken finger. Alec Burks does not have a timetable to return, as he makes slow progress from knee and ankle surgeries, and he has only played 58 games over the last two seasons. Suddenly, Utah is looking thin on healthy wing players.

Smith is a unique personality, and thus he’s not necessarily a good fit in every locker room. As a scorer and perimeter shooter, with little else to offer, he’s also essentially a role player that wants to be paid like he’s a bit more than that.

The Jazz seem to have enough salary cap space to make Smith a competitive offer, if they want to find outside help to fill the void left by Hayward and perhaps Burks going into the season. But if Smith wants a multi-year deal, and he has balked at Cleveland’s aforementioned reported offer, any interest from Utah would probably be fleeting at best.