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8:39pm: The signing is official, the Clippers announced.
5:40pm: The deal is for one year and the veteran’s minimum, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
4:15pm: The Clippers and unrestricted free agent Josh Smith are finalizing a deal that would bring the veteran to Los Angeles for next season, both Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter) and Shams Charania of RealGM report (Twitter links). Smith’s agent, Wallace Prather, confirms that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year contract, Marc Berman of Fox 26 tweets.
The 29-year-old appeared in 55 games for the Rockets last season after he was surprisingly waived by the Pistons, averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 25.5 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 11 seasons in the NBA are 15.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 3.2 APG, with a slash line of .455/.285/.633.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reported on Monday that the Clippers were interested in Smith, and the Kings and Mavericks were also reportedly keen on adding the forward to their rosters. Smith had also expressed a strong interest in re-signing with Rockets, who certainly helped him rebuild his career in the wake of his unceremonious exit from Detroit.
The Clippers have been quite active this offseason in addressing their needs for outside shooting. The team also signed veteran small forward Paul Pierce, and acquired swingman Lance Stephenson from the Hornets. Smith can certainly provide depth at both forward spots, though his questionable shot selection has made coaches and fans scream in frustration on numerous occasions throughout his career.
i wouldnt call what happen to smith a surprise. you can tell him and the pistons werent a good fit. look how much better they were without him. smith not the player he once was, reason why teams arent jumping to get him
This is an absolute steal for the Clippers. $1.5 mil is next to nothing considering what lesser players have signed for and the fact that it’s a 1 year deal limits the long term risk.
I thought they would have to move Crawford in order to bring Smith in (and they still might) but they can afford to have both now.
i dont know if i would call him a steal. he not the best player out there. he cant shoot the 3 and he not the best free throw shooter. now teams can foul DJ or smith. for 1.5 mill is a fair deal for him. since pistons are still paying him i believe
he actually proved he can shoot the 3 at a respectable rate, free throws on the other hand I never understood, he can hit those corner three’s all day but cant make a free throw.
sure from time to time he can hit a 3, but his 3point% says other wise. maybe better shot selection could help him out. plus a team with a lot more shooters could help him alot too. he wont need to score alot
He’s not going to be a top-five player on this Clippers team, but there isn’t much more value that LA could have gotten for the veteran’s minimum.
Smith’s game comes with a lot of positives and negatives. Kevin McHale did a good job of balancing those last season, and Doc Rivers probably will, too. But I’m surprised he left his friend Dwight for the veteran’s minimum. Maybe the Rockets didn’t want him as much as we were led to believe.
Compared to similar veteran PF’s I would call this a steal.
Paul Pierce 3/$10 mil
Corey Brewer @ 3/$23 mil
Brandon Bass @ 2/$6 mil
Drew Gooden @ 2/$6 mil
Matt Bonner @ 1/$1.5 mil
Charlie Villanueva @ 1/$1.5 mil
If you compare his numbers to Pierce there isn’t as MUCH of a difference outside of 3pt shooting. I would say he’s been at least as good as Brewer and certainly better than Gooden, Bonner and Vilanueva.
I think value wise, he’ll prove to be valuable coming off the bench to back up Griffin.
I would have probably looked at Al Farooq-Aminu, or Tristan Thompson, but ya…this is clearly a steal
Tristan is a restricted FA so he wouldn’t be in play and certainly way out of their salary cap allotment. I don’t think Aminu is a fit either, and again, way out of their budget.
I meant in terms of value. They got way more money than Josh Smith
I’m somewhat surprised Houston didnt try to bring him back, even with their depth at the 4.
This should really help the Clippers defensively, add athleticism, and it also gives them a little rim protection when DeAndre isnt on the floor. He allows them to play a lot of different lineups. It should be interesting to see what happens with Jamal Crawford, Lance Stephenson, and Josh Smith all on the same team, as well as Paul Pierce, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin also being ball stoppers in some ways. If Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith play the way they are capable of playing, they’re going to be a really good team. I’m really surprised they got him for the minimum on 1 year, even with Detroit paying him. In that case, why whouldnt Houston have just brought him back?