The Rockets were lucky enough to land Josh Smith after the Pistons had waived him, and now it’s looking like he may be staying in Houston for years to come.
When speaking with ESPN recently, their GM, Daryl Morey, emphasized the importance of retaining such a talented team; and in particular the newly acquired Josh Smith.
“We’re pretty focused on now, but obviously pretty much everyone on this team, we’re going to be focused on trying to bring them back,” said Morey. “We got quite a few free agents, Josh Smith is one, we’re going to address in the offseason. We feel if our team can keep executing, we feel like we can keep getting better with the group that we have here.”
Savy fans of Houston basketball will be quick to point out the fact that their team will more than likely be over the salary cap next year. With Smith’s Bi-Annual Exception running out at the end of the year, it’s just a pipe dream that they’d be able to keep him on this team, right? Not exactly.
The Rockets will likely be over the salary cap once the 2015-16 business year begins in July, so they can only offer Smith part or all of their Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception since he will be classified as a “Non-Qualifying” free agent. Smith may get more on the free agent market, however he and the Rockets are a good fit and money may not be an issue as the Pistons still owe him $27 million.
Since joining the Rockets, Smith has accepted the role as the first forward off the bench, which some thought he would not do, and that is another sign he likes playing in Houston.
You can thank Detroit for overpaying for Josh Smith in the first place, Houston fans. Because of that, he may wind up taking a lesser role with the Rockets for the long-term, where he’ll be able to flourish as a player while also getting paid handsomely – two things he has been unable to sustain successfully in his career.
Anyone who’s watched a minute of playoff Rockets basketball with Smith on the court will be able to tell you this is a good idea.
The supremely athletic forward appears reinvigorated and infatuated with the city of Houston. Now lets see if they can work out a long term relationship.