Former Wizards PG Ish Smith, Hornets Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Contract

Ish Smith and the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a one-year deal, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Smith, an 11-year NBA veteran, averaged 6.7 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game for the Washington Wizards last season.

The 33-year-old point guard will be joining his 12th NBA team, which ties a league record, per NBC Sports Washington's Chase Hughes.

Smith's Hornets tenure will mark a return to his home state. He was born in Charlotte, went to high school in Concord and played college ball for Wake Forest in Winston-Salem.

The Hornets have shaken up their roster this offseason. Gone are big man Cody Zeller, point guard Devonte' Graham and shooting guard Malik Monk. Center Bismack Biyombo, who has played his last three years in Charlotte, is still a free agent.

Big man Mason Plumlee has joined the team following a trade with the Detroit Pistons. Charlotte also selected James Bouknight, Scottie Lewis and Balsa Koprivica in the 2021 NBA draft.

Smith added some guard depth to a Hornets team looking for some minus Graham and Monk. He'll likely slot in as Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball's backup.

The Hornets improved to 33-39 in 2020-21 after a 23-42 season the year before. They qualified for the play-in tournament but fell to the Indiana Pacers in the first game.

Charlotte is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.