LeBron urges Cavs to re-sign J.R. Smith, likens situation to buying a house

LeBron wants J.R. Smith and the Cavs to come to an agreement as soon as possible

Around the NBA for most teams, training camp is coming to an end and preseason will be starting in a few days. Teams will use this time to solidify their roster for the start of the season, seeing which players fit where and who will be on the end of the bench as a 14th and 15th man. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going through the same process except they are missing one key player -- J.R. Smith.

Despite an "incredibly competitive and aggressive offer," Smith and the Cavs have reached a stalemate in their contract negotiations. The good news is that both sides want to reach a deal, they are just struggling to come to a consensus. Cleveland was in a similar situation last year when Tristan Thompson and the Cavs couldn't come to an agreement before training camp. But despite the Cavs eventually reaching a deal with Thompson, LeBron James is fed up and can't believe the same thing is happening again with Smith.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, James, once again, strongly advocated for the Cavs to come to an agreement with Smith. Cursing and even comparing the whole situation to buying a house, James wants the whole ordeal to be over sooner rather than later.

From the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd:

"Negotiations are always two sides, but J.R. did his part," James said. "He showed up every day. Worked his ass off every day. Became a two-way player, a model citizen in Cleveland and he's a fan favorite. Obviously we all know that. ... He's a big piece of our team and they just need to get it done."

...

"I hate coming into another season - two years in a row - with one of my big guns not here," James said. "So for a leader of a team and for me personally, I just hate to deal with this s--- again. It's just too big of a piece to our team to have to deal with in another training camp. Hopefully things get resolved fast, because you know how big and important he is to our team."

...

"You can go find a house, you do all the negotiations and all that, but you never got the house until it's closed and you got the keys," he said. "Last minute someone can step in. Escrow could fall through or something. Then it ain't your house no more. So, J.R. is a free agent. He's not ours. He's still my brother right now. And I feel like when I play 2K17 he's still on the Cavs, so he's on my roster there, but it wouldn't be good if he was not here. It wouldn't be good for any side."

James' voice and feelings carries a massive amount of weight in the organization, so if he is upset, than it shouldn't sit well with the Cavs. But despite James' frustrations, it seems like it will only be a matter of time before Smith and the Cavs reach an agreement. After all, Smith only wants to play for the Cavs and Cleveland wants him back.

However, the more the whole situation drags on, the longer it will take for Smith to be incorporated back into the team. And with the Cavs trying to defend their title, could cause a not so auspicious start to the season.