Josh Smith's career with the Detroit Pistons has been overshadowed by plenty of criticism from fans and NBA pundits alike and a lot of it has to do with his ill-advised shot making. For whatever reason, the high-flying forward continued to shoot the ball from beyond the arc even though his three-point field goal percentage was an abysmal 26%. While Smith has finally come to his senses and understands that he doesn't have to shoot the ball from deep, he still doesn't make sense on a Pistons team with a very crowded front court with young studs in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond clogging the paint.
Heading into the 2014-15 season, Detroit knows the kind of changes they need to make and new head coach Stan Van Gundy understands that the franchise will have to unload one of their front-court pieces if they want to make things work. The Indiana Pacers might be a willing partner - if a trade is to arise - according to Bleacher Report:
"So, yeah, the Pacers did call the Pistons about Hibbert. Did they talk about Monroe? Who knows? Did they talk about Andre Drummond or Josh Smith? No idea. Did they discuss the parameters of a three-team trade? Beats me."
Detroit might be planning to make a mid-season trade but the only problem though is that Monroe seems determined to leave when he becomes a free agent next summer and the Pistons could be left with a very thin front court if they trade Smith and Monroe decides to sign with another team in free agency. But the issue for Monroe is co-existing with Smith in the same line-up and if the Pistons want to keep Monroe happy (and guaranteeing him minutes at power forward), it may be best for them to trade Smith according to Stephen Babb:
The question is whether [Detroit owner Tom] Gores also believes Monroe will even listen to the Pistons' pitch next summer. There's a danger in trading Smith if Monroe is already set on leaving in 2015. But there may be even more danger in expecting the two to coexist for the time being.
Coach Van Gundy has always been a big fan of efficiency and many believed that Smith is just a poor fit in his system. The Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Hornets were reportedly interested with Smith although no deal came into fruition. But if a trade is to happen, Sacramento seemed to be the more likely trade destination, given their dire need for a Power Forward and their plans in acquiring Rondo who shares a close relationship with Smith.
The Pistons have a very crowded front court and if they want to move forward with their young, big man duo in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, its time for them to part ways with Josh Smith.
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