Ish Smith Reportedly to Sign with Pistons: Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Following a breakout campaign split between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers, point guard Ish Smith reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Pistons on Friday.  

Rod Beard of the Detroit News was the first to report the signing, and Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer added that the contract is worth $18 million.

Smith is expected to serve as the primary backup to Reggie Jackson in Detroit, which addresses a huge need the Pistons struggled with in 2015-16.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old is set to join his 10th different NBA team in seven seasons after going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2010.

He was little more than a journeyman until last season, when the Pels traded him to the Sixers after 27 games. Smith appeared in 50 contests with Philly and went off to the tune of 14.7 points, 7.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Despite his excellent production, the 76ers didn't show interest in retaining Smith's services, according to Pompey:

Smith has never had stability over the course of his NBA career, so a three-year contract likely appealed to him, and the Pistons were the team willing to make that commitment.

There is undoubtedly some risk with giving Smith $6 million per season since he only has a partial campaign of great play to his credit, but it could be a bargain if the form he displayed with the Sixers last season turns out to be the real deal.

Smith won't be pressured to put up big numbers since Jackson is the unquestioned No. 1 point guard, and center Andre Drummond will shoulder much of the scoring load as well.

If Smith can provide an offensive spark off the bench, spell Jackson and fill in effectively when the 26-year-old is injured, though, he could be the type of signing that aids in Detroit's steady progress from eighth place in the Eastern Conference to a more secure playoff position.

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