After getting off to one of the NBA’s worst starts, the 5-23 Detroit Pistons have decided to part ways with F Josh Smith. Smith signed with the Pistons after the 2012-2013 season and was averaging 15.5 points 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 105 career games as a Detroit Piston.
Detroit Piston’s head coach and president of basketball operations, Stan Van Gundy, released this statement Monday morning: “Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction.”
Smith, who is currently averaging 13.1 points 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists has drawn heavy criticism over the years for being a player who does not take coaching well and thus has not lived up to the tremendous hype surrounding him coming out of high school as the 17th pick in the 2004 draft.
The news Monday came as a surprise because Smith has approximately $26 million left on a contract that is set to expire after the ’16/’17 season. League sources claim that the Piston’s will employ the stretch provision on the remaining $26 million of Smith’s contract, which creates $8.1 million in cap space over the next two summers. If Smith passes through the waiver wire over the next 48 hours he will be able to join the team of his choice as an unrestricted free agent.
According to sources close to the situation, teams said to have interest in Smith include the Kings, Clippers, Rockets and Mavericks among others.
An interesting factoid to follow: Smith’s closest friends in the NBA are Rockets star, Dwight Howard and newly acquired Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo, both teams are battling for positioning in a loaded Western conference where depth off the bench can be the difference for teams come June.
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