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By Chris Tomasson for Rocky Mountain News
Wednesday, July 9 at 9:09 PM
When free agent Corey Maggette spurned the Spurs, it appeared to be good news for J.R. Smith. There was talk San Antonio might turn to the Nuggets restricted free-agent guard as a backup plan.
But the Spurs, after Maggette bolted to Golden State, instead decided on a sure thing. They agreed to sign Washington unrestricted free-agent guard Roger Mason Jr. to a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
So Smith continues to wait.
One wonders if it will be a long wait for Smith. The luxury-tax strapped Nuggets don't figure to swoop in with a big deal for Smith, and he remains a risk for teams to sign.
The initial risk is that the Nuggets would match any reasonable offer, meaning a team would have to overpay Smith. And does a team really want to overpay for a player whose career has been marked by erratic incidents on and off the court, although Smith was a solid citizen while playing well at the end of last season?
Smith could end up an ideal candidate to take the one-year qualifying offer of $3.04 million and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He could have an extra year to show he has matured, and, without being a restricted free agent, might find better offers.
In addition, the Nuggets next summer might be more willing to give Smith a bigger deal. Allen Iverson's $20.84 million contract comes off the books, and, if Iverson doesn't return, or re-signs for much less, Denver's luxury-tax situation won't be as bad.
But don't expect Smith to announce he's returning for the qualifying offer any time soon. If it happens, it most likely would be a September decision.
