NBA trade rumors: JR Smith says he wants out of Cleveland

JR Smith wants out of Cleveland. 

The 33-year-old forward said Thursday that he’d like to be traded by the Cavaliers. When asked if he has expressed his desire to Cleveland, Smith simply said: “They know,” adding, “I mean they don’t want me here so they obviously know.”

Reporter: “Are you hoping for a trade [from the Cavs]?”

J.R. Smith: “Yeah.” pic.twitter.com/SJNB0JRB8L

Smith’s comments come after ESPN reported Tuesday that Smith “considered taking some time away from the team” after he was informed for the second time this season that he would be removed from the rotation and he would not receive guaranteed playing time.

Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman recently gave Smith an option of staying around the team or taking a leave because “he will be out of the rotation for the foreseeable future,” according to cleveland.com. However, Smith opted to stay. 

The Cavs are in transition after firing head coach Tyronn Lue on Sunday. The Athletic reported that players were “pissed” following Lue’s dismissal in part because he was a player’s coach partial to veterans. His partiality toward them may have played a role in his dismissal, according to the report.

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Smith, who helped the Cavs win an NBA championship in 2016, is averaging just 2.5 points a game this season. He has played in four games, though he didn’t start in any of them.

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