The Los Angeles Lakers have only one more available roster spot to add another veteran for next season and another candidate for that spot is about to officially hit the open market.
J.R. Smith, one of three remaining members of the 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers team, is expected to be waived by the team after a season in exile, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
Smith spent only a handful of games with the Cavaliers last season despite being under contract as he became one of most vocal critics of the team’s rebuilding process after veterans were allegedly told they would try to compete for a playoff spot coming into the year.
After Smith left the team following just 11 games, other holdovers from the 2018 Eastern Conference champions, such as George Hill and Kyle Korver, were traded. Despite Smith leaving, things were amicable enough between the two sides to get him to agree to push back his guarantee date for the next season to help the Cavs find a trade.
Smith, who like LeBron James and Anthony Davis is represented by Rich Paul, will then become a free agent once he clears waivers. Many have been expecting him to sign with the Lakers but they already have 14 players on their roster, not including players who have been invited to training camp. If they do bring Smith in, it will likely come at the expense of the team signing Kyle Korver or Carmelo Anthony.
Smith, 33, is a career 37% 3-point shooter.
