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PISTONS
Stan Van Gundy

Rockets may be frontrunners for Josh Smith, cut by Pistons

Jeff Zillgitt, and Sam Amick
USAToday
Josh Smith has been frustrated alongside the Pistons.

Amid a horrible start to the 2014-15 NBA season with a flawed roster, the Detroit Pistons waived forward Josh Smith, the team announced Monday.

"Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction," Pistons coach and President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy said. "We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future. As we expand certain roles, others will be reduced.

"In fairness to Josh, being a highly versatile 10-year veteran in this league, we feel it's best to give him his freedom to move forward. We have full respect for Josh as a player and a person."

Smith averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 29 games this season. But those were hollow numbers. Detroit is 5-23 and have lost four in a row.

By making this shocking move, the Pistons are taking a rare road with salary cap relief and collective success in mind.

All things Pistons: Latest Detroit Pistons news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

According to two people with knowledge of their situation, they will use the league's stretch provision on the remaining $27 million of Smith's combined salary in these next two seasons in order to save $8.1 million in salary cap space. That tool, which was negotiated into the collective bargaining agreement during the NBA lockout in 2011, is intended to help teams like the Pistons get out from underneath deals that are considered toxic to their team building.

Smith wasn't Detroit's only problem, but he's not part of the long-term solution either. Van Gundy inherited this mess, but he's the one in charge of cleaning it up. The Smith-Greg Monroe-Andre Drummond trio in the frontcourt never worked, and Van Gundy knew it would be difficult to make it work.

It's not surprising that Van Gundy jettisoned Smith but it's stunning the Pistons weren't able to unload him in a deal. It shows how willing the Pistons were to get rid of Smith and magnifies the non-existent trade market for Smith.

As for where Smith might go next after he clears waivers (which is certainly expected), the Houston Rockets appear to be the frontrunners. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are also among the most intriguing options.

In addition to the fact that the Rockets talked at length with Smith in free agency two summers ago, Houston center Dwight Howard grew up with Smith in Atlanta and has had interest in playing with him in the past.

Smith and Howard were also teammates on an AAU team that was considered by some to be the best of all time.

According to a person with knowledge of the Rockets' situation, they are seriously interested in adding Smith with their bi-annual exception and see themselves as the frontrunners here. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

As for Dallas, new Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo is close friends with Smith and it would stand to reason that they'd want to keep adding talent in this loaded Western Conference race. The Mavericks do plan on pursuing Smith, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The Kings have had interest in Smith for quite some time, as they discussed a trade with the Pistons during the summer centering on him and are known to have pondered that notion this season as well. With Smith's exorbitant contract no longer an issue, adding the 29-year-old would be just the kind of splashy move that their new regime has quickly become known for.

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