J.R. Smith Reportedly Looking for $15 Million Per Season – Can the Cavs Afford It?

The Cavs have had a quiet confidence all along that free agent shooter J.R. Smith coming back to the team. Even GM David Griffin recently said he expects Smith to return to the defending NBA Champs.

Now there seems to be a pretty big question mark about Smith coming back.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets out that Smith is looking for a HUGE payday to sign with any team – somewhere around $15 million (or more) per season.

Yikes… hearing JR Smith seeking huge deal to return to Cavs, in the $15m per year range. Can Cavs really pass on bringing him back?

— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) July 17, 2016

Smith told ESPN that he’s nervous about leaving the Cavs, but with the amount he’s looking for, it’s not going to be easy for Cleveland to keep him around.

“I thought about that situation and I’ve also thought about the other way too, coming back and winning again,” he said. “I’m actually kind of nervous about that choice when it gets presented to me.”