If you thought the firing of Tyronn Lue was the end of the Cleveland Cavaliers breaking into tiny little pieces, then you might be in for another surprise, sooner rather than later. The Cavs' shooting guard, JR Smith, has reportedly asked for a trade and wants it as soon as possible. This is quite the reversal from just a few days ago when Smith shot down rumors he was feuding with his team. One report claimed he wasn't happy with his diminishing minutes and that he was thinking about taking a leave of absence. Smith tweeted out that not only was the report "false" but the team had offered to allow him some time away, and he had declined.

It appears he had a change of heart.

Cleveland Cavaliers add to mistakes by the lake

It has been a tough couple of weeks for fans of Cleveland sports teams. The Browns just fired head coach Hue Jackson in large part because he couldn't figure out how to win more games despite having the best rookie quarterbacks in the league on the roster. Lue's firing was just a few days after Jackson was given the axe. Now one of the more well-known players left on the Cavaliers' roster wants to get out of town as quick as he possibly can.

While this certainly hasn't been a real fun time for fans of the Cavs, this news is also not a huge surprise. The departure of LeBron James always meant the team was going to have to start another kind of rebuild.

The squad's "superstar quotient is decidedly lacking. Also lacking is any real contribution from JR Smith. That's even more glaring considering the Cavs are a team desperately looking for a leader.

Tyronn Lue's departure might have been the final straw for JR Smith

Certainly, the lack of minutes and appearances is the major factor for Smith's desire for a trade, but it may not be the only one.

While the team had told the guard that he was going to see less playing time before the season started, (he's averaging just 12 minutes a game and appeared in only four contests) it seems as though he thought Lue was going to be getting him more action.

JR Smith told the New York Post he and Lue had a conversation that would lead to getting back into the regular rotation for the player.

Then Lue was fired. During a media scrum on Thursday, Smith reported back what he and his now-former coach had talked about. "He said, ‘The hell with it’ and did what he wanted to do and what he was comfortable with doing and I respect him for it. But at the same time, I don’t think it should have cost him his job.” The Cleveland Cavaliers apparently disagreed.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED