Another NBA player has spurned the Dallas Mavericks to join a contending team. Free agent small forward Richard Jefferson agreed to a one-year deal worth about $1.5 million to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. This will be his fifth team in the past five seasons.
Richard Jefferson agreed to be back with Dallas. He had a change of heart and decided to go to Cleveland, a team that can win an NBA championship. According to ESPN, owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban talked to Richard Jefferson saying, “He called and talked to me. RJ said he had an opportunity with an Eastern Conference team. He said he would honor what he [originally agreed to with the Mavs] but thought the other was a better fit. I told him I was OK with it and understood.” At least Jefferson did something that DeAndre Jordan didn’t. That was to tell Cuban directly that he was going to another team.
Richard Jefferson is not a bad pick-up by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has NBA playing experience. This will be his 16th year in the league. Jefferson is a reasonable three-point shooter. Last year he made 42.6% of his threes. That’s a respectable number. Every three-point shooter in the NBA would like to shoot above 40% from long distance.
Jefferson won’t be a starter on the team but he gives Cleveland a veteran presence off the bench. This is a practical move on the part of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They know he is at the tail end of his career. He can replace J.R. Smith as a three-point shooter in case Smith doesn’t come back to the team. Jefferson will also be a mentor because he can guide the younger players on how to play the NBA game. Richard Jefferson knows what it’s like to be in the playoffs. In his career he has played a total of 105 postseason games.
This is a low-risk, high reward move. Jefferson will be like a coach on the bench. When he is in the game, he will set up his teammates for easy buckets. He can also shoot threes anywhere on the court. The Cavaliers should be excited to have this type of player on the team.
What do you think of Richard Jefferson signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers?
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