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Josh Smith was with the Detroit Pistons yesterday. Now he’s not. With the big man waived on Monday morning, he suddenly could be in line to attract a ton of suitors. There were teams somewhat interested in trading for him a few months back, but now he can be had by anyone if/when he clears waivers within the next 48 hours.
We can’t know if someone will jump on him in waivers, but until we know for sure where he’s going, it’s worth speculating about. Smith wasn’t a fit in Detroit, but he’s immensely talented and could absolutely still be a great fit in the right system with the right coaching. Let’s break down the five most logical potential suitors if he is able to clear waivers (or really, even if he isn’t):
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are back to playing very good basketball and with Doc Rivers guiding a star-studded cast, this just might be a legit title contender. They’re one true hole? The small forward position, where a pedestrian Matt Barnes currently resides in the starting lineup. Smith could be the answer and give this team the extra boost it needs, or adding him could mess up the chemistry and keep this team from realizing it’s potential. There’s really only one way to find out.
Houston Rockets
Smith, best known as “Smoove” is tight with Dwight Howard, while the Rockets don’t really have a brute force at the four spot. Smoove loves to chuck shots from deep, but perhaps with his pal guiding him, he can buckle down in the paint and help the Rockets where they need assistance the most. Smith suddenly buying into a new system and becoming a more disciplined player isn’t overly likely, but he’s talented enough to take that chance. There were whispers about Smith going to Houston in each of the last two seasons, so this is certainly a spot to monitor.
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas just made a splash by landing Rajon Rondo, so why stop there? Smoove has loads of talent and could help the Mavs on the wing, but it’s possible adding him could clog things up for Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki. It’s a high-risk move, but they’re already a legit contender and this has to be considered a move that could potentially push them over the top.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings have a versatile forward in Rudy Gay, who can play both the three and four effectively. Smith would give them another wing man who can do exactly that, which could potentially fix their issues at the four spot. Smith would still need to be reigned in, which is a tough task considering the Kings don’t even know what they’re doing at the head coach spot yet (Ty Corbin is the interim coach). Still, there were whispers over the summer that Sacramento was interested in landing Smith, so that talk could come back to life in a big way.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are crazy. They traded for Jeremy Lin, grabbed Carlos Boozer off of the waiver wire and signed an aging Kobe Bryant to a massive two-year deal. Smith brings talent and experience to the table and the Lakers sorely lack both. If they still have some odd hopes of making the playoffs, they could be silly enough to try to get better by adding Smoove.
