Report: Pistons Likely Won't Trade Josh Smith
By: Mike Sullivan
@mikesullivan
According to Yahoo Sports:
Detroit Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy reached out to forward Josh Smith to tell him that reports of the franchise engaging in substantive trade 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.
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.
Personally, I don't like Josh Smith's contract at all. He'll make $14 million next season and I think that money could be much better spent on bringing in other players.
On paper, Smith's numbers aren't bad. Last season he averaged 15.5 points per game last season, with 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. However, he shot a historically bad 26% from 3 point range. Smith frustrated fans last year with his volume of shots and inconsistent play. I think Josh Smith has a lot of talent, but I don't think he's able to co-exist with Brandon Jennings. Both players want to be "the guy" who will take the last shot.
In addition to to all that, the dynamic of Smith, Monroe, and Drummond last season didn't really work out the way we all hoped it would. It's TBD whether Monroe will be back next season, but I think the Pistons would be better off trying to dump Smith's contract and inherit a couple of role players.
Do you want to see Josh Smith in a Pistons uniform next season?
