Cleveland Cavaliers free agency, trade rumors 2016: J.R. Smith expected to re-sign his contract with the team

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with guard J.R. Smith (5) while leaving the game with a triple-double during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 124-91.Rueters/Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA's reigning champion team, still has a number of free agents they need to tend to. One of them is J.R. Smith, who will most probably stay with the team.

Smith performed quite well in the 2015-2016 season, according to the Ecumenical News. After all, he is considered to be one of the team's contributors, especially in terms of offensive capabilities. Combining his efforts with the rest of the team certainly helped them obtain their first ever title.

The notion of Smith staying with the Cavs is solidified by a report on Cleveland's official website, where it states that he is expected to re-sign his contract this off-season. He is considered to be a veteran, and his agent is Rich Paul. This agent also handles LeBron James, and it is expected for him to handle Smith's negotiations to strike a favorable deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

J.R. Smith has been in the NBA for 12 seasons, and because of his experience and consistently good performance throughout the years, other teams might be willing to sign him in during this off-season. Actually, according to some rumors, it's possible for the Miami Heat to get the experienced guard.

After all, the Miami Heat lost one of their iconic players, Dwayne Wade, when he decided to make a transfer to the Chicago Bulls. As such, this team needs a good shootin guard as a replacement for Wade, and Smith is certainly qualified for that position. Furthermore, Bleacher Report points out that this could test Smith's loyalty to the Cavs.

For now, a lot of NBA fans agree that the Cavaliers are expected to prioritize Smith this free agency. He is an important player for this team, being one of the instrumental players for their championship last season. There is currently no deals for Smith, but with the fast-paced off-season, people are expecting one soon.