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Miami Heat: Could J.R. Smith be a free agent fit for the Heat?

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: J.R. Smith attends the game between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks on January 27, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: J.R. Smith attends the game between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks on January 27, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

J.R. Smith has a murky future in the coming free agency period. If the Miami Heat don’t trade for him, could he be a possible free agent signing?

The Miami Heat have been linked to rumors of a “salary-designed trade” for J.R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.  The general idea involves trading for Smith and his partially guaranteed $15.7 million salary with the intention of waiving him for a lower guaranteed number.

J.R. Smith’s contract is guaranteed for just $3.9 million, meaning that trading for him and waiving him before June 30th would save the team that holds his contract around $11.8 million for the coming season.

If the Heat are actually interested in trading for Smith, it’s a lock that it will be with the intention of waiving him and clearing that space to get as far under the luxury tax as possible. There is just no way that they (or any other team) is interested in paying him that full salary in 2019-20.

However, if the Heat aren’t able to swing a deal to acquire Smith for those purposes, they may actually find value in signing him as a free agent after the Cavaliers or a trade partner ends up waiving him.

Smith is certainly on the downside of his career as he’ll turn 34 before training camp begins, but the Heat do have a roster that could stand to improve its shooting capacity, and he’s a player who could provide that benefit on a cheap one-year or two-year contract.

He comes with his own baggage and it’s not great that he basically took last season off because of his dissatisfaction with the direction the Cavs have chosen in the aftermath of LeBron James‘ departure to the Los Angeles Lakers, but a team in a city where he would (clearly) like to spend time with strong leadership and culture could be just the ticket for a late-career rehabilitation stint.

J.R. Smith isn’t a player the Miami Heat should sink any significant investment into, but if he could be persuaded to come to South Beach on a veteran minimum contract, it could be an equitable arrangement for both player and team.

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