Josh Smith continues to wait for a ruling on his future. The forward has been dangled in trades since the start of the offseason as the Detroit Pistons cannot make up their minds on who stays and who goes on the current roster. Interest in Greg Monroe is dwindling and Smith's contract is too much to take on, but both players cannot function on the court together. Now the Pistons and Sacramento Kings are trying to agree to a deal as the Kings have a bigger picture in mind with Smith.
While no deal is imminent, CBS Sports' Ken Berger is reporting that there is renewed interest from the Kings to get a deal done for Smith. Sacramento likes the idea of pairing the forward with Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins and could be willing to take on his large contract. So far, trade discussions have no involved any long-term players for the Kings. The Pistons appear willing to take on Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson, but Sacramento is giving themselves time before making such a splashy move.
Trading for Smith is certainly risky. While he was a star for the Atlanta Hawks, he dropped off in his first season with Detroit, averaging just 16.4 points on 41.9 percent shooting. Part of that was due to his lack of chemistry with Monroe and Andre Drummond. Smith was often forced to play a position he was not comfortable with causing a decrease in stats. Leaving Detroit would certainly be in his best interest if the Kings can get a deal done. That three years and $40.5 million appears to be the elephant in the room during trade discussions.
The Kings want Smith because they believe he is a good player, but also because they think he can help recruit another star, Rajon Rondo. Sacramento's interest in Rondo is certainly nothing new. The Kings have reached out to the Boston Celtics about a deal in the past. However, there was speculation that Rondo would not re-sign a long-term contract with the Kings if traded, but would Smith change that.
Rondo and Smith have known each other for years and remain very good friends. The idea of teaming up might be appealing to the point guard. Sacramento traded away Isaiah Thomas this offseason, meaning the need is certainly there. According to Boston.com, the Kings could emerge as a favorite for a Rondo trade since they have the young assets the Celtics could be interested in including Ben McLemore. If a trade is not completed, Sacramento is expected to make a run at him in free agency.
