During his career, J.R. Smith was well-known as a solid 3 and D player. He was a journeyman for most of his career, notably winning the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year award. He also is a two-time champion, once with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and once with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
While J. R. Smith is currently part of the golf team and is enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University, it seems as though he is open to returning to the league. Legion Hoops relayed Smith’s words on a return. Smith claimed that he’s “available” if any team needs “an extra shooter”.
JR Smith on ESPN:
“If a team needs to add an extra shooter to their roster, I’m available.”
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 31, 2022
There has been an influx of 10-day contracts given out by NBA teams in recent memory, due to the fact that a lot of players have been sidelined under health and safety protocols. We’ve seen a lot of older veterans like Joe Johnson sign 10-day contracts, so perhaps J. R. Smith can be the next person to get a call. While it is likely that he won’t play extended minutes for any team that he signs for, he could be useful for any team that simply needs someone to soak up minutes while players get healthy.
It remains to be seen what teams if any would be interested in J. R. Smith’s services. Even if he doesn’t come back to the NBA, there’s no doubt that J. R. Smith has had a long and productive career. Now, he is tackling the challenges of being a college student. J. R. Smith is certainly succeeding in college so far, and he previously revealed that he got a 4.0 GPA in his first semester. Hopefully, J. R. Smith will find success in the future, whether it comes on the basketball court or in a college classroom.
