With Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley opting out of returning for the 2019-20 season, free agent veteran J.R. Smith has become a favorite to land with the team.
Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young appears to be a fan of Smith, as he shouted out the 2016 champion after the news broke.
Smith, 34, worked out for the Lakers earlier this season.
The journeyman hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018-19 regular season. He last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, though the relationship between both parties ended in an ugly divorce.
Nonetheless, Smith is one of the best free agents on the market. The sharpshooter has career averages of 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
In addition, he has valuable experience with four-time MVP LeBron James. The pair competed together in four consecutive NBA Finals while on the Cavs. They won the title together in 2016.
As for Young, he will be watching the 2019-20 resumption from home. The rising star is expected to be a postseason threat in the next few years, but his team did not make the cut for this season’s unique conclusion.
The guard put up a whopping 29.6 points, 9.3 assists, 4.3 boards and 1.1 steals per game this season.
The 2019-20 campaign will resume in late July in Orlando, Fla.
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