Stan Van Gundy has seen enough.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Detroit Pistons have released forward Josh Smith, who still has roughly $27 million dollars left on his contract over the next two seasons.
The Detroit Pistons have just announced the release of Josh Smith. Stunning
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 22, 2014
Pistons president and head coach Stan Van Gundy released the following statement on Smith’s release citing a ‘change in priorities’ (via the Detroit Free Press):
“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 and team president Stan Van Gundy said in a released 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.”
In other words the Hedgehog had enough of J-Smoove’s .391 FG% and his .243 number from downtown. Not to mention Smith’s utter fascination with continuing to take bad shots.
Detroit will reportedly use the NBA’s stretch provision which will enable them to spread out the remaining balance on Smith’s contract over the next five years.
