Ish Smith reportedly joining Hornets, his record 12th team originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Former Wizards point guard Ish Smith has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to play for his hometown Charlotte Hornets, The Athletic's Shams Charania was first to report.
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Smith is set to become the fifth NBA player ever to play for 12 NBA teams, the most in league history. Joe Smith, Chucky Brown, Jim Jackson, and NBC Sports Washington analyst Tony Massenburg are the other four players to have played for a whopping 12 teams in their careers.
Smith averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game in 112 games across two seasons as a Wizard. One of the quickest ball-handlers in the league, Smith's short stature has allowed him to make a career out of getting to the rim at will and setting up others under the basket ever since going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2010.
From bouncing around six teams in his first three seasons, Smith carved out a role for himself as a Sun before cementing himself as the starter during the 76ers process days. A fan favorite almost everywhere he went since then, Smith's time in the nation's capital was no different.
A consummate professional off the court and speedy dribbler on it, Smith was a key cog in former Wizards coach Scott Brooks' three-guard rotation in the second half of the 2020-21 season.
With rumors swirling around the Wizards' "ultimate target" in free agency, Spencer Dinwiddie, Wizards general manger Tommy Sheppard may now be in the market for guard depth if fellow unrestricted free agent Raul Neto doesn't re-sign. After centers Alex Len and Robin Lopez found homes elsewhere as well as the team opting not to extend Isaac Bonga, Smith marks the third unrestricted free agent Sheppard has let walk this offseason.
