J.R. Smith
The gameplan has been clear for the Cleveland Cavaliers front office, stockpile draft picks by trading away any player of value. However, the trade value of shooting guard J.R. Smith is not what it used to be. After helping the Cavaliers win their first championship in 2016, Smith has flat out struggled offensively. He is shooting only 34.2% from the field this season which is not far from his field goal percentage of 34.6% during the 2016-17 season.
Smith also comes with a history of questionable off the court behavior including tossing soup at an assistant coach in March of 2018. Smith also carries a salary of $14.72 million this season and $15.68 million next season. I doubt that the Cavaliers will be able to find a trade offer for him and he will likely be bought out.
So, why should the Portland Trail Blazers even consider him? Well, one aspect of Smith’s game has remained constant and that is his three-point shooting. He still shot 37.5% from three last season and has shown the ability to play a high level of defense against opposing stars.
Smith is not as desirable as Matthews, but he still would add depth and possesses the Three-and-D qualities that the Blazers are looking for.