How does one of the best teams in the NBA go from top of the hill to the bottom of the pit in the span of a few months?
The Cleveland Cavaliers made the championship finals during the last four seasons and won the 2016 NBA Championship against the Golden State Warriors.
This season their record is horrible as they have a 2-13 record which shows just how badly they have fallen and how poorly they have played.
Their millions of fans have been deeply disappointed but this decline was always on the cards.
J.R. Smith who was an integral part of the core team will no longer represent the Cavaliers. Smith made it clear that he was no longer interested in being a part of the Cavs and wanted to be traded. The Cavs decided to let him go and released an official statement confirming that he will no longer represent them.
The Fumble
Smith will take a nice payout as he leaves the Cavs as he is set to receive $14.7 million this season. He was set to receive $15.6 million if he stayed on with the Cavs for the next season but his early departure will see him receive $3.8 million. The Cavs are looking to trade a disappointed Smith who was unhappy at the lack of game time he was getting along with the lack of fire in the Cavs will to win.
Smith who has a strong fan base in Cleveland said that he could no longer stay with a team who wasn’t keen on winning this season. He felt that it would be a disappointment to his fans if he adopted a similar attitude.
In a statement, Smith said
I don't think the goal is to win. The goal isn't to go out there and try to get as many wins as you can. I think the goal is to develop and lose to get lottery picks. I think that was always the plan
The Cavs are no longer the team of old that was once a major force in the NBA. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and now J.R Smith have left the Cavs. The three players that left from the title winning team are Tristan Thomspon, Channing Frye and Kevin Love who is currently injured.
Head coach Tyronn Lue who led the Cavs to their NBA Championship is also no longer with the team after the Cavs gave him his walking papers after losing their first 6 games on the trot.
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