On a team that wants to play up-tempo for George Karl and has DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos up front, plus Rajon Rondo as the point guard, you would think the goal with the cap space the Kings have left would be to add shooters.
Or, Josh Smith.
Smith, a career 28 percent shooter from three who improved all the way up to a barely passable 33 percent with the Rockets last year, is high on Kings wish list, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
With players able to sign contracts the Kings have a "very strong" interest in free agent forward Josh Smith
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 9, 2015
That from league sources familiar with the Kings' plans. No deal imminent but Kings would love to add Josh Smith
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 9, 2015
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports adds one reason the Kings may look at Smith.
Kings remain interested in Rockets free agent F Josh Smith, a source said. Smith & new Kings PG Rajon Rondo were Oak Hill Academy teammates.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 9, 2015
The Kings do have some floor spacing shooters in Ben McLemore, Rudy Gay and Marco Belinelli, but they could use more. Opposing teams would be more than happy to let Smith fire away from the midrange or three (he hit 38 percent from three in the playoffs, but opposing teams are not going to believe that is the new normal yet).
Another question: In a locker room where there are already chemistry questions — Cousins and Karl having tension (something even GM Vlade Divac admitted Thursday), plus the injection of Rondo into the mix after his Dallas experience — is the strong personality of Josh Smith the right fit?
That said, Smith can still get points, get rebounds and defend at a quality level. He would bring some real depth and versatility to the Kings front line. With a lot of free agents off the board, the Kings may not have a better option.
But it comes with risks.