A familiar face returns to the Houston Rockets, as veteran forward Josh Smith was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the team he came from before joining Lob City last July as a free agent.
The Clippers signed Smith before the 2015–16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season to boost their bench scoring.
However, Smith was unable to earn significant playing time with the Clippers and before being traded back to the Rockets was no longer a major part of the rotation.
Smith already played his first game back in a Rockets uniform Friday in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks and had two points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks in 21 minutes.
Following a stat sheet-completing performance for Houston in a win over the Bucks, Smith stated, according to ESPN, "I wanted to play bad, man."
The 30-year-old added, "I haven't played in like a month, month and a half, so being able to touch that hardwood makes you appreciate a lot of things. Being able to be around a group of guys and coaching staff that is confident in you is definitely helpful for my game."
According to ESPN, along with Smith, the Clippers sent cash and the draft rights of Ukrainian Serhiy Lischuk to Houston in exchange for the draft rights of forward Maarty Leunen.
Smith never fit in with the Clippers who signed him along with guard Lance Stephenson and veteran forward Paul Pierce in the offseason, as they were expected to help two-time Sixth Man of the Year guard Jamal Crawford.
For seasons now, Crawford is the only reliable scorer the Clippers have in their second unit, an issue yet to be resolved.
Meanwhile, with Smith leaving Lob City and again playing for the Rockets, he is expected to get more playing minutes and quality production.
