Smith, 29, will add depth at the forward position for a Clippers team that will be in the hunt for the National Basteball Association title.
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Smith’s deal will be for one year, worth the veteran’s minimum of $1.5 million, per Brad Turner of LA Times. In a statement on Thursday, Smith thanked the Rockets for making Houston a “second home”. That approach proved especially debilitating on a Pistons team with two quality post-bound big men in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, which forced Smith to play on the perimeter far more often than anyone could possibly want.
The Los-Angeles Clippers are genuine Championship Contenders, in fact, I think they will be the team to beat in the 2015-16 National Basteball Association Season.
The former Atlanta Hawks star has a career average of 15.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Pierce has also proven to be something of a unifying locker room force as he’s gotten older, which should help a Clippers team often perceived as emotionally fragile.
If Smith would have signed for a high enough total, it could have offset some of the Pistons’ cap hit, but the veteran’s minimum won’t make much – if any – difference.
Unfortunately for them they’re still probably just the fifth best team in the brutal West. But sports are more than about just winning, they’re also about entertainment, and one way or another the Los Angeles Clippers are going to entertain us next season. After resigning Corey Brewer to a three-year, $24 million contract, the Rockets needed to retain Smith to get the band back together.
Josh Smith was so maligned the past few years that he seemed like a toxic player, until he helped lead the Rockets to the conference finals. But coming off the bench, Smith is a massive upgrade for the Clippers – he provides physicality and defense, plus he can still get points and rebounds and defend at a quality level. A week later, DeAndre Jordan picked up the phone and called Rivers to let him know he was having second thoughts about playing for the Dallas Mavericks – a team he had verbally agreed to sign with. Paul Pierce likely will replace departed Matt Barnes as the starting small forward.
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Clippers also acquired ex-Hornets guard Lance Stephenson via trade. If the Clippers use Smith as only a backup 4, paired always with exactly one out of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, then the downside is limited. Furthermore, there were only four players who went to better teams and didn’t see an improvement in their shot selection (upper left quadrant). He has been a starter his whole career, but averaged only 26 minutes a game last season.
