Josh Smith is still available on the free agent market with interest coming few and far between. The shooting guard did everything he could to up his value last season after a successful stint with the Houston Rockets, but the roller coaster ride with the Detroit Pistons appears to be all that teams are thinking about. Hoping to get a few looks in the coming days, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as an option.
The Clippers officially won free agency after re-signing DeAndre Jordan following a dramatic split with the Dallas Mavericks, but the team is not done making adjustments just yet. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Clippers are still interested in acquiring Smith despite signing both Cole Aldrich and Austin Rivers. The Clippers are in win-now mode after getting back Jordan and signing both Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce. According to Stein, they like the versatility that Smith shows on the court and believe he could be a big value to the team.
However, the issue with adding Smith is finding a roster spot for the small forward. The Clippers have added a lot of names to the roster in the past few weeks and there is not really space for Smith. The best chance they have at acquiring Smith is if they trade Jamal Crawford. The former Sixth Man of the Year is up for grabs. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat have shown the most interest, but so far no deal has been made. If Crawford is traded, Smith might be a lock to join.
Should the Houston Rockets be ruled out as an option for Smith. So far the team has shown no interest despite James Harden giving his support to bringing him back. They re-signed both Corey Brewer and Patrick Beverley, but Smith remains out there. According to the Houston Chronicle, the tem added Marcus Thornton on a one-year deal, but have made no other roster moves since bringing back other players. According to the Chronicle, the Rockets have made an offer to Smith, but he is holding out for something bigger. A larger contract will not come from the Clippers who are maxed out outside of mid-level exceptions.
The Rockets are eyeing the return of both Smith and Jason Terry, but the contract offers are small. After being in the running for both LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love, the Rockets decided to use that money elsewhere and not make any trades of players like Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones. Those are certainly still options, but the Rockets will not trade either player just to bring Smith and Terry back.
