Josh Smith was a name you kept hearing pop up in trade rumors running up to the draft.
Which made sense. New general manager Danny Ferry has orders to shake things up, to make changes, and moving Smith could bring you back something of value — a lot of picks, maybe a good player and some picks.
Ferry’s phone rang, but nothing happened.
Because Ferry just isn’t ready to go there yet, reports Marc Stein at ESPN.
Boston, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers -- with Pau Gasol as the prime piece being offered in L.A.'s case -- have joined Orlando this week in making their interest in Smith known.
Yet as Ferry settles into the job, sources say he wants to take stock of things before deciding if he’s prepared to go into next season without Smith, who is entering the final year of his contract at $13.2 million and has let it be known for some time that he’d welcome a trade.
Ferry will come around this summer. He’ll look to move Smith. But the market may have changed by then and Ferry may not have as many options.