Cleveland Cavaliers Roster News 2015: Smith Renews Ties, Kaun Signs Contract

By Dondi Tiples, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, August 25, 2015

J.R. Smith will be returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a new two-year deal, while Alexander "Sasha" Kaun has also signed a two-year contract with the team.

Earl Joseph "J.R." Smith, who has played for the Cavs as a shooting guard after he was traded from the New York Knicks in January, has re-signed for two more years.

Smith's new contract is a $10 million deal, with a player option on his second year with the team, according to ESPN. He had earlier opted not to exercise his player option during the offseason, preferring to remain a free agent.

Smith's decision to re-sign with the Cavs is due in part to his intention to help the team pursue an NBA championship.

While still with the Knicks, Smith had averaged 12.5 points with 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists, with an average of 1.5 steals per game.

Meanwhile, Russian center, Kaun, has inked a two-year contract with the American professional basketball team, adding to the Cav's 2015 roster of players.

Seven-footer Kaun was drafted in 2008, and was the Seattle Supersonics' original choice until the Cavaliers bought his rights on draft night.

He has previously played for CSKA Moscow under the VTB United League, where he averaged 9.9 points, with 4.5 rebounds per game during the last Euroleague season. He also played four seasons of college basketball for the University of Kansas, and was a member of the Jayhawks team when they won the 2008 national championship.

Kaun joins another center for the team, fellow Russian player Timofey Mosgov.

The Cavaliers currently have 12 players under their roster. It is presently working on a deal to re-sign free agent, Canadian Tristan Thompson, a power forward who played center for the Cavs on a rookie contract from 2011 to 2015 for the 12th to 15th seasons of the NBA.