With a bevy of suitors, free agent Josh Smith reportedly has decided where he will go: the Houston Rockets. ESPN's Chris Broussard reported Wednesday Smith would sign with Houston, where he will reunite with longtime friend Dwight Howard.
Smith became the hottest free agent when he cleared waivers on Wednesday. His time as a free agent, though, reportedly didn't last long.
Per ESPN:
"Wanting to play for a winning team with a chance to win the title, Josh Smith has decided to join the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard on Wednesday. The veteran, let go Monday by the Detroit Pistons less than halfway into his four-year, $54 million contract, cleared waivers Wednesday."
In addition to joining Howard on a playoff-bound team, Smith stands to make $2.1 million from the Rockets' biannual exception - a figure only the Miami Heat could have offered more than to Smith. He was also likely lured to Houston by minutes. The Rockets promised Smith he would have a spot in the team's starting rotation, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Smith essentially had his pick of the litter after Detroit unexpectedly waived him on Monday, with his list of reported suitors including the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat, the Sacramento Kings, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 29-year-old veteran could take the floor with Houston as early as Friday, when the Rockets host the Memphis Grizzlies.
As for Houston, Smith provides an upgrade at the 4-position, something Howard sounded excited about earlier in the week.
"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 a tough for guys to get in there and try to score."
