ISH Smith has just won an NBA championship — and made history along the way.
But the veteran point guard, 35, is still a free agent even though the 2023 preseason has already started.
Point guard Ish Smith is yet to find a new team after representing a record-breaking 13 NBA franchises in his careerCredit: Getty
Smith won the NBA title with the Denver Nuggets last seasonCredit: Getty
Smith got to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy after spending the 2022-23 NBA season with the Denver Nuggets.
The North Carolina native landed in Colorado alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a trade with the Washington Wizards.
Having put on the Nuggets jersey for the first time, he made an official appearance for the record-breaking 13th different NBA team in his career.
Before suiting up for Denver, he made stops in Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, and Charlotte.
Smith played in just 43 games last season — and logged a total of 12 minutes on the court in the playoffs.
But he still left his mark on the Nuggets as they headed toward the franchise’s first-ever NBA title.
“When you can have veterans that are truly selfless and not worried about, ‘Hey, I’m not in the playoff rotation,’ but they’re still invested in the team and the team’s success and they’re willing to use their voice in a positive manner, that is really impactful,” head coach Michael Malone said.
Smith went undrafted in 2010 before signing with the Houston Rockets.
In 2013-14, he got to spend the entire season with one team for the first time in his career, making 70 appearances for the Phoenix Suns.
But he fared best while with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals over 75 regular-season games.
Those came in two separate stints with the team between 2015-2016.
Smith, who’s made $41.7million in career earnings, is yet to find a new home for the 2023-24 NBA season.
But he’s likely not done trying.
Asked how much longer he wanted to play, he said back in June: “Until they cut off the lights and say don’t come back.”
