Josh Smith will officially clear waivers on Wednesday and be free to sign with any team. The Houston Rockets appear to be the favorites when it comes to landing spots for several reasons.
First, Smith is close friends with Rockets star center Dwight Howard. Second, Houston can offer Smith the full $2.077 million bi-annual exception, as opposed to other teams who are limited to offering him only a pro-rated minimum deal. Third, Houston is projected to finish as a top-four seed in the Western Conference as James Harden is exploding for an MVP-type season. Fourth, the Rockets can offer Smith an ample amount of playing time.
"He would be a good piece," Howard told the Houston Chronicle. "He would fit right in. He can play on the perimeter, attack the basket. A guy like him and myself in the paint, it would be tough for guys to get in there and try to score."
By now, everyone knows about Smith's dreadful shot selection and inability to hit jumpers. We get it, the guy can't shoot. But from 2007 to 2012, Smith averaged 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and just fewer than three blocks a game with one steal for good measure. He also produced a player efficient ranking between 17.2 and 21.1 during that span.
In other woods, Smith is capable of being a diverse and highly effective player. Is it possible for the 29-year-old Smith to regain his previously destructive form? With better players around him and (hopefully) more space in the paint than the Detroit Pistons could offer, it's possible.
The Rockets would need to trade or release one member of their full 15-man roster to make room for Smith. Joey Dorsey and Alexey Shved are the most likely candidates for such a space-clearing movie. The contracts for either player will still count against Houston's salary cap should they be moved to sign Smith.
Smith is currently averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season.
