Report: Rockets players confident they can convince Josh Smith to sign

Josh Smith has been friends with Dwight Howard since childhood, and that may be just the edge the Houston Rockets need.

Smith was unexpectedly waived by the Detroit Pistons on Monday, and he'll clear waivers later this week, leaving him free to sign with a team of his choosing. Despite Smith's perceived flaws, there are no shortage of teams lined up to try to lure him, according to multiple reports.

Howard's Rockets believe they're the favorite, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reporting that the team's players strongly believe they can convince Smith to sign there.

Helping matters beyond Howard's friendship with Smith is that the Rockets have their bi-annual exception to offer, meaning they can pay Smith $2.1 million instead of the $1.4-million veteran minimum. That's a minor edge, though it may not be a major concern for a man who just got paid $35 million-plus to take a hike.

Smith in Houston would be a very strange fit considering the Rockets are all about threes and shots at the rim. He certainly loves to take them, but Smith has never been a strong outside shooter, hitting 24.3 percent on the season and 27.8 percent for his career. He's also been largely ineffective at the rim this season, shooting well below his established career rates.

It's possible that playing Smith as a small-ball power forward, his ideal role, with a defense-first focus will re-invigorate him. He's a solid passer and a versatile defender when locked in, tools that any team can use if harnessed properly. That wasn't done in Detroit with pieces around him that fit poorly, but that's not to say he can't be effective in a new environment.

That new environment isn't certain to be Houston, despite what the players may think. The Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are fellow contenders said to have interest in Smith, while the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings may also make overtures. You can read more about those interested teams in the storyline below.