The Detroit Pistons reportedly plan to keep forward Josh Smith for the upcoming season. Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy told Smith he wouldn't be traded to the Sacramento Kings, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Sacramento reportedly discussed a potential trade with Detroit for Smith. Those talks, though, appear to be dead given Wojnarowski's latest report.
"(Van Gundy) reached out to forward Josh Smith to tell him that reports of the franchise engaging in substantive talks with Sacramento centered on Smith have been inaccurate and -- barring an unexpected turn of events -- Smith will be in training camp with the Pistons this fall, league sources told Yahoo Sports," Wojnarowski wrote Monday. "Sacramento had made calls about Smith in June, but Detroit never heard an offer that remotely interested them and never seriously engaged in discussions, sources told Yahoo Sports."
Smith seemingly became the odd man out in the Pistons' frontcourt after the experiment of playing Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond together last season failed.
Given Van Gundy's previous statements, it appears he believes he can make the Smith-Monroe-Drummond trifecta work. Drummond is under contract for the next three seasons, and Van Gundy spoke last month about wanting to re-sign Monroe, who's currently a restricted free agent.
For Sacramento's part, the team appeared eager to trade for Smith in order to increase their chances of landing Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo -- be it through a trade this season or through free agency next season.
"Another potential bonus is Smith's close relationship with Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, whom Sacramento has been targeting in trade talks for some time," ESPN's Marc Stein wrote Thursday.
Smith is due $40.5 million over the next three seasons, which would likely limit the return Detroit would get by trading him.
