The Houston Rockets on Friday acquired Josh Smith in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey confirmed on Twitter.
The Rockets sent the draft rights to foreign players Maarty Leunen and Serhiy Lishchuk to the Clippers for Smith, according to ESPN sources and multiple reports.
The Clippers also will send cash back to Houston to cover the balance of Smith’s salary, a source confirmed to ESPN. The trade was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.
“I’m excited. I feel great,” Smith told Fox 26 Houston about the deal. “It’s a place that I probably should have never left.”
The 30-year-old Smith, an 11-year NBA veteran, averaged 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game after being acquired by the Rockets last season in a trade with the Detroit Pistons.
He then signed with the Clippers as a free agent for the veterans minimum ($1.5 million) in July. His time in Los Angeles hasn’t gone well, as he’s set career lows for points per game (5.9), shooting percentage (38.3) and minutes played (14.3 per game).
Smith spent nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and parts of two with the Pistons before joining the Rockets last season. He has averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds during his career.
Leunen, a second-round draft pick in 2008, currently is playing for Sidigas Avellino in Italian Serie A. The 33-year-old Lishchuk currently plays in the Ukrainian leagues
Sources: ESPN