J.R. Smith’s Immediate Reaction After Getting Released by Cavs

On Monday, veteran shooting guard J.R. Smith’s tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers officially came to an end.

The two sides parted early in the 2018-19 regular season after Smith grew dissatisfied with the team’s direction. While the Cavs had openly been shopping Smith as possible trade bait, no such deal ever materialized.

On Monday, it was announced that the Cavs had decided to release the veteran guard. Following the report, Smith took to Instagram to express his approval of the move.

Smith spent four and a half seasons with the Cavs after being acquired from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade. During his time with the Cavs, he primarily served as a solid scoring option off the bench.

Smith will forever be a fan favorite in Cleveland due to his role in the 2016 NBA championship. He will also always be fondly remembered for his unabashed style of celebration after that championship victory.

Now, it will be interesting to see what Smith opts to do. While it seems likely that he will look to continue his NBA career, he may also decide to hang it up for good after a long and successful career.