"I'm in a contract year," Jeff McInnis said recently. "For me, every game is a big game."
McInnis is now in his seventh year in the league and at 30, in the he certainly sees the need to maximize his value when he becomes a free agent this summer.
During the first 15 games of the season, McInnis is playing great basketball. McInnis started Thursday's game with the Denver Nuggets averaging 15.8 points per game.
"It has been my experience throughout my career that guys really bring it during contract years," Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said. "So far, Jeff's been doing that."
McInnis is making $3.6 million this season, the final year of a three-year contract he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers before they traded him to the Cavaliers in January.
Even though he showed his value by leading the Cavaliers to a 20-11 record as a starter last season, collective bargaining rules prevented him from getting an extension to his contract.
The Cavs will certainly have cap space to pay McInnis, but teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas is also a free agent. General manager Jim Paxson also is believed to be interested in several shooting guards that will be on the market as well.
Snow is also under contract for four more years at more than $25 million.
"I'm not worried about the contract right now. I can't think about it," McInnis said. "What is most important to me is that we win. It doesn't matter what I do individually if we're not winning."