The Sichuan Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association have engaged in talks to lure in veteran forward Josh Smith, sources told David Pick.
Smith played nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before signing with the Detroit Pistons in the summer of 2013, an experiment that left his career trending downward shortly after.
The 6-foot-9 hybrid forward was once a stat-stuffing machine that could do just about everything on the floor, but started seeing a very steep decline after signing that four-year, $56 million deal with Detroit.
He's now mostly looked at as an unreliable bench option that might bring the spark one day and be the cause of the team's woes in another.
Smith's unwillingness to listen to coaches and mold his game to what it can be most useful for the team has badly hurt his career and his image around the league, thus struggling to find suitors for his services in the association.
If the Whales make an offer lucrative enough, it could force the once high school phenom to put his NBA dream on hold and try to resurrect his career overseas, among the likes of Michael Beasley and Stephon Marbury.
Josh Smith last played for the L.A. Clippers in the 2015-16 season, averaging 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 32 appearances.
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