J.R. Smith Tells Story of How Cavs Disrespected Him Before He Parted Ways With Team

J.R. Smith is still under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the relationship isn’t in a great place.

Exiled from the team, Smith hasn’t played a game since Nov. 19. The Cavaliers didn’t want Smith around the team this season and he still feels slighted by the way the organization told him to stay away.

“The situation I’m in with the Cavs right now, obviously, I’m absent from the team,” Smith told Quentin Richardon and Darius Miles on “Knuckleheads.” “It’s like alright, first of all, y’all didn’t wanna tell me this. You called my agent when I was just at the gym, to tell him. Bro, you just seen me. I practiced and kicked everybody’s ass at my position and everything and all this.

“But y’all wanna lose and get picks and all that. Alright cool, no knock against that. That’s what y’all wanna do, that’s what y’all wanna do. But don’t knock me for wanting to win. You know what I’m saying? And that’s cool and if that’s the way you wanna go as an organization and all of that, cool. Let that be that. But you could have told me this.”

For many players, they just want organizations to be honest with them. It sounds like Smith understands where the Cavs are coming from, but he felt disrespected by the way they informed him. It sounds like a legitimate gripe.

Exiling Smith from the team was probably the right move for the team to fully embrace the rebuild, but it doesn’t make its handling of the situation any better.

But the end of his Cavaliers tenure is near. Smith’s contract for next season is only partially guaranteed and thus, the Cavs should have an easier time getting rid of Smith for good.