Top landing spots for Josh Smith after being waived by Pistons

When he was taking ill-advised jumpers, clashing on the sideline with Stan Van Gundy and making $13.5 million a year, Josh Smith was a player no one in the league wanted to touch. Now that the Detroit Pistons have waived him and he can he had for a bargain, Smith is soon expected to be in high demand once he clears waivers Christmas Eve.

After watching Smith average 13.1 points on 39 percent shooting, with 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists on a team that has the league’s third-worst record at 5-23, the Pistons determined that the headache to keep him far outweighed making a stunning move Monday to cut him despite the $27 million remaining on Smith’s contract the next two seasons.

Signing Smith was one of the last moves Van Gundy’s predecessor, Joe Dumars, made in the summer of 2013 in a failed Hail Mary attempt to make a run at the playoffs. The 29-year-old Smith was a terrible fit with Detroit’s youthful front line of 21-year-old Andre Drummond and 25-year-old Greg Monroe last season but Van Gundy still wanted to take a chance to see if he could make something work with the mess he inherited.

Van Gundy rejected Sacramento’s trade proposal for the mercurial power forward last summer, uninspired by a package of Jason Thompson and Carl Landry, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The Pistons shopped Smith this season but didn’t want to sacrifice a first-round pick or take back bad contracts in return. Detroit will use the stretch provision with Smith, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, that will allow the team to pay Smith the remainder of his salary over the next five years. That move will save them nearly $8 million in salary cap space next summer.

Smith had a head-scratching shot-selection and a reputation for being hard headed when it came to adapting to a system, going back to his time in Atlanta. The former slam dunk champion appeared to be in decline athletically because of his struggles to finish at the rim with the same ferocity and also no longer served as the same deterrent for players attacking the hoop.

But perceptions can change with a price tag and attitudes can shift when provided the chance to win, so Smith shouldn’t have to wait long for a new home. Smith will need a structured environment and a coach or teammates he respects and trusts. At least four teams are expected to make a run at Smith and four others should consider taking a chance … mostly for the entertainment value.

The early front runners

Houston Rockets

The Rockets make plenty of sense for Smith. They were one of the teams Smith visited as a free agent in 2013 and made a competitive offer in hopes of reuniting him with childhood friend Dwight Howard. Howard was the best man at Smith’s wedding and they were former AAU teammates. Houston, which failed to land a stud free agent last summer, is always in pursuit of talent and could offer the bi-annual exception ($2.1 million) to Smith, as opposed to the league minimum ($1.4 million) that limits Houston’s competitors.

Los Angeles Clippers 

Whether it’s passion, athleticism or intensity, something has been missing with the Clippers this season. The Clippers have stability with Doc Rivers and established veterans in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Smith excelled in Atlanta when the team looked for him to plug holes, not carry the load.

Dallas Mavericks 

If the Rockets are interested in someone, there is a good chance the Mavericks are, too. And vice versa. Houston beat Dallas in the quest for Howard’s services. The Mavericks stole Chandler Parsons from the Rockets last summer and beat them in the chase for Rajon Rondo. Both teams missed out on Carmelo Anthony. Smith is close friends and former high school teammates with the recently acquired Rondo. Dallas lost some size and athleticism in dealing long-armed lefty Brandan Wright to Boston in the Rondo deal. Smith could provide some much-needed frontcourt depth.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings were hot after Smith last summer. Owner Vivek Ranadive is eager to be relevant in the Western Conference and Smith could form an intriguing front line with DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

Teams that should take a shot

San Antonio Spurs 

The Spurs brought back the same team that won the title but might need an injection of enthusiasm to provide the edge that has been absent for much of this season. Smith has never been around a culture that compares to San Antonio but Gregg Popovich has had success with versatile players whose talents were wasted in other systems.

New York Knicks 

Forget the triangle, the Knicks’ problems this season have been because the team is deficient in the talent department. Phil Jackson hasn’t been able to get much out of the team’s other unpredictable Smith (J.R.) but Josh Smith would at least make the Knicks more entertaining as they slog through another miserable campaign.
Miami Heat
Pat Riley’s pride won’t allow the Heat to slide after losing LeBron James and this season has been a disappointment. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have battled injuries and Luol Deng has been inconsistent. With Josh McRoberts possibly out for the year, Smith would fill a need at power forward and Coach Erik Spoelstra could find the best way to exploit his talents.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers don’t have much to lose with a short-term investment. Despite his deficiencies as a player, Smith could give the Lakers another option to compete for shots with Kobe Bryant and Nick Young, which would be pretty fun.