NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Pistons part way with F Smith
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The Detroit Pistons waived veteran forward Josh Smith on Monday.
Smith, 29, still had two years and at least $26 million remaining on his contract after this season.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Smith has averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. In 105 games with the Pistons, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
“Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction,” coach Stan Van Gundy said in a statement. “We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future. As we expand certain roles, others will be reduced.
“In fairness to Josh, being a highly versatile 10-year veteran in this league, we feel it’s best to give him his freedom to move forward. We have full respect for Josh as a player and a person.”
If Smith clears waivers, he will have the right to go elsewhere as a free agent.
—New York Knicks center Samuel Dalembert was fined $15,000 for elbowing Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors in the face during Sunday’s game.
Dalembert’s actions, which resulted in a flagrant-foul 2 and his subsequent ejection, occurred with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter of the game, won by the Raptors 118-108.
—The Atlanta Hawks recalled forward/center Adreian Payne from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League on Monday.
Payne has appeared in 11 D-League games this season (six with Fort Wayne and five with Austin), averaging 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.1 minutes. In Sunday night’s win over Rio Grande Valley, he had 18 points and nine rebounds.
