News for JR Smith - 2010 Ezra Stiles NBA League

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Sat Oct 15 201617:32Cavs, G Smith offically announce new contract
The Cleveland Cavaliers officially re-signed guard J.R. Smith on Saturday after a contract stalemate lasted for most of training camp.The deal is for four years and worth $57 million, ESPN reported Friday night, with $45 million guaranteed over the next three seasons. The fourth season of the contract is not fully guaranteed, sources told ESPN.Many in the organization were getting worried that Smith might consider moving on from the defending NBA champions. LeBron James was outspoken, saying a deal with Smith needed to get done."Bringing J.R. back as part of our core group was a priority for us," Cavs general manager David Griffin said in a statement. "He's a special part of this family and we are very pleased to have reached an agreement that we all can feel good about. We know he can't wait to get back on the court with his brothers and we are certain that everyone in this organization and city feels the same way."On Friday night, Smith posted a video on Uninterrupted about the deal."We are extremely happy and proud to say that we have agreed to terms to come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, aka the champs, aka my brothers. It's been a long road," Smith said. "I appreciate everybody sticking out through this rough patch of time. I know this holdout and everything else has been long and tedious for everybody, but it's extremely huge for us. We're happy to be a part of the Cleveland family and just want to take it one day at a time."James wrote on Twitter: "So damn happy for my Lil bro!! Well deserved. Good things happens to good people. I can't express how happy I am for you brother!"Head coach Tyronn Lue addressed the agreement after the Cavs' 118-108 preseason loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night."It's great news," Lue said. "Any time you get your starting 2-guard back -- (he was) a big part of what we did the last two years. It means a lot, so hopefully we get the contract signed and we'll be going in the right direction."Smith has one preseason game left to play on Tuesday before the Cavaliers open their season at home against the New York Knicks on Oct. 25.The 31-year-old Smith played in 77 games (all starts) with Cleveland in the 2015-16 regular season, averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes. The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter ranked seventh in 3-pointers made with a franchise single-season record 204 threes. He also shot .400 from beyond the arc, which was tied for 18th-best in the NBA.Smith led Cleveland in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.37) and scored 10 or more points 50 times and 20 or more points 11 times last season.During Cleveland's championship run in the 2016 playoffs, Smith started all 21 games, averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 34.8 minutes. He made a franchise playoff-record 65 3-pointers, which were also the fourth-most threes made by any NBA player in a single postseason. Smith scored in double figures in each of the last five games of the NBA Finals, as Cleveland went 4-1 over that stretch against Golden State and took home the franchise's first-ever NBA title.Over his 12-year NBA career, Smith owns averages of 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.02 steals in 26.9 minutes over 839 regular-season games (295 starts) with New Orleans, Denver, New York and Cleveland. He currently ranks 17th in league history in 3-pointers made with 1,679. His 28 career regular-season games with at least seven 3-pointers and 14 contests with eight or more threes both rank second in NBA history.Smith has made the most 3-pointers (335) in the Eastern Conference since the Cavs acquired him in a three-team trade on Jan. 5, 2015.In a related move, the Cavaliers waived guard Toney Douglas, who was signed on Oct. 3.Douglas appeared in 61 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.7 minutes per game.