The New Orleans Pelicans have had to deal with a myriad of injuries in the beginnings of the NBA season. Rajon Rondo, Solomon Hill, Anthony Davis, Frank Jackson and Alexis Ajinca have all dealt with some sort of injury. The Pelicans have reportedly been granted an injury hardship exception by the league and will use it to sign free agent forward Josh Smith:
Free agent forward Josh Smith plans to sign with New Orleans under an injury hardship exception, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 25, 2017
Smith, 31, hasn’t played since the 2015-16 season, which he spent with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Smith is an immensely talented athlete and is very skilled when locked in. There are, however, questions regarding his decision-making abilities. The Pelicans desperately need depth on the wing, though, and now they’ve found some.
Their other main need is shooting, though, and signing Josh Smith doesn’t address that; even if Smith believes himself to be an outside shooter, he isn’t one.
Smith has a connection to the Pelicans in a friendship with injured guard Rajon Rondo; the two played high school ball at Oak Hill Academy together and have wanted to play together for some time now.
