One of the Detroit Pistons' issues during the 2013-14 season was too many big men. While the team was hoping to form their own Big 3, the pairing of Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond failed to work out. Now entering the offseason, the team could is looking to make adjustments. While Monroe is ready to leave, could Josh Smith be the like target in a trade?
Early reports say that Monroe is the first out. The Pistons have hired Stan Van Gundy as their new head coach and Monroe might not fit his system. If Van Gundy structures his offense like the Orlando Magic, there is no space for Monroe. He spreads the floor and creates space for a big man under the basket. Drummond would take on the role of Dwight Howard. Considering Monroe is a restricted free agent, he is the easiest to get rid of because Detroit can simply opt to not match any offer.
However, Van Gundy denied that he did not have a place for Monroe on the team, leaving many to speculate about another potential deal in the works. According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, Smith could be the trade target this offseason, but it will be hard to put together. This is not the first time Smith has seen his name pop up in trade rumors. Currently signed to a four-year, $54 million deal, Smith struggled only putting up 16.4 points per game while shooting just 26.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Smith has trade value, but his lack of consistency with Detroit has hurt his value. A team must be willing to believe that Smith can turn things around and be the player he was with the Atlanta Hawks while also taking on a contract that eats a lot of salary space. Any team in a win-now mode might highly consider the deal.
Lowe first lists the New York Knicks as an option if Carmelo Anthony does not re-sign. Ideally, Phil Jackson does not want to take on a monster contract unless it is attached to Anthony, but a deal certainly would not hurt. This move seems like the most unlikely trade to happen this offseason considering the Knicks have no trade pieces and no salary cap space to take on a player like Smith whether they lose Anthony or not.
The Los Angeles Lakers could be a real possibility. Xavier Henry is returning, but Smith is a big upgrade. Nick Young has the option of heading to free agency in the summer which would leave a spot open. While the team does not have a trade piece to give the Pistons, they could get creative in order to bring Smith on.
The most likely team that could target Smith is the Brooklyn Nets. Lowe references the team's love of marquee trade deals. Paul Pierce is approaching free agency and might opt to not re-sign. Andrei Kirilenko is almost never healthy. The Nets could reunite Smith and Joe Johnson back on the court, a pairing that worked well in Atlanta.
A trade of Smith is going to be hard to negotiate, but the Pistons will explore the option in an effort to get his contract off the books. There will be a team that looks to deal, but Detroit might have to lower expectations on what they can demand in return.
