CLEVELAND _ The final piece to the Cavaliers' championship defense is reportedly in place. The Cavaliers and J.R. Smith agreed to a four-year, $57 million deal Friday, according to a league source, returning the shooting guard to where he always wanted to be.
Smith, 31, was an unrestricted free agent who earned about $5 million with the Cavs last season. He made a career-high 204 3-pointers last season and emerged as a top two-way player. The agreement came as the Cavs were in Chicago to face the Bulls in a preseason game. Smith's first game with the Cavs could come Tuesday in the preseason finale against the Washington Wizards at Ohio State. Coach Tyronn Lue already said he was going to treat Tuesday's game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Smith averaged 12.4 points last season and shot 40-percent from the 3-point line. He is represented by Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents LeBron James and Tristan Thompson. James expressed his frustration recently during the negotiations and urged the Cavs to get something done.
"Negotiations are always two sides, but J.R. did his part," James said two weeks ago. "He showed up every day. Worked his ass off every day. Became a two-way player, a model citizen in Cleveland and he's a fan favorite, obviously we all know that. ... We just miss him. We miss having him around. He's a big piece of our team and they just need to get it done."
The Cavs were hesitant to go four years on Smith, but had no way to replace him. They are well into the luxury tax again this season and have few trade assets to pair with their $9.5 million trade exception. Similarly, the number of teams that could offer Smith the type of contract he sought was extremely limited.
Smith never hid his desire to return to the Cavs and the organization, from general manager David Griffin to Lue and the players, made it clear they wanted him back. Smith lingered around Cleveland throughout the negotiations and even attended Ohio sporting events within the last few weeks.
"I feel confident J.R. will be here," Lue said following Thursday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. "We'll just see how it works out."
Smith's return means the Cavs' starting lineup from their championship team returns intact. Iman Shumpert is expected to slide back into a reserve role.
ESPN.com was the first to report Smith's agreement with the Cavs.
