Thursday night’s Game 6 may be J.R. Smith’s last in wine and gold.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is expected to allow his player option deadline to pass and become an unrestricted free agent, according to Cleveland.com.
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Smith signed a two-year, $10.3 million extension last year after being traded to the Cavs the previous winter. His deadline to opt in is June 16, but his contract won't be guaranteed until Sept. 17. Smith says he'd like to stay in Cleveland if possible, though.
"This is where I want to be," he told Cleveland.com. "The fans love me; I love them and my teammates.”
Smith has helped lead the Cavs to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, but with the salary cap expected to rise, many players are expected to test the open market. Smith averaged 12.4 points this season and scored 20 points in Cleveland's Game 3 win over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.