Josh Smith is still not giving up on his quest to make it back to the NBA. Pro basketball journalist David Pick reported on Twitter that the veteran free-agent forward has signed for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa and will look to audition for teams in upcoming exhibition games against the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers.
Josh Smith is pursuing NBA comeback and joined Maccabi Haifa for exhibition games vs UTA, IND and POR, agent Wallace Prather tells me.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) September 27, 2017
Smith has been hard at work in terms of trying to get another job in the NBA this offseason. He expressed interest in making a return to one of his old teams, the Houston Rockets, earlier in the summer. He also worked out for the New Orleans Pelicans when they were looking for additional depth at the forward position.
Smith, 31, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2015-16 season, where he split time between the Rockets and the L.A. Clippers. He had his most ineffective campaign that season, as he averaged just 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16 minutes per game over 55 games.
Smith has never been a consistent outside shooter and he may have lost a bit of the athleticism which he has relied upon for most of his career. If he still doesn't get calls for a job after his exhibition games for Maccabi Haifa, he may have to come to grips with the fact that he'll need to play outside the NBA in order to continue his professional basketball career.
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