J.R. Smith will meet with the Cleveland Cavaliers this week and is prepared for the possibility of making less than the $6.4 million player option he declined.
"That's always part of the gamble of opting out," Smith told the Northeast Ohio Media Group on Monday at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas, where the NBA players' union held its summer meeting.
Smith remains unsigned and has kept a low profile in free agency.
Asked if he regretted his decision to decline his contract option, Smith said "Uh, I mean, yes and no.
"No because I've gotten offers that I wanted, I mean numbers that I wanted, it's just different situations," Smith said. "Right now it's just a matter of seeing what the Cavs come back to me with. Right now they give me the best opportunity to win."
It is believed Smith was seeking somewhere in the $7 million to $9 million range annually.
The Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers are the only teams beyond the Cavaliers that can offer him a raise.
"I definitely want to come back to Cleveland," he said. "The coaches, the team, everything about the situation, it's perfect for me."
A $6 million contract for Smith would bring the Cavaliers a $16.5 million tax penalty.
. i loved that pacer team.
