Detroit Pistons: Team Meets with Josh Smith, Eyes Andre Iguodala

The Detroit Pistons are expected to make a four-year offer to free agent Josh Smith. (NBA.com photo)

Yahoo Sports reported late Sunday night that Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars met with Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Smith in Los Angeles and plans to make a “substantial” four-year contract offer to the nine-year veteran.

League sources told Yahoo that the Hawks are interested in working a sign-and-trade arrangement for Smith, which could net Smith a fifth year, but are not that interested in retaining him.

Yahoo reported that Smith is one of two top priorities for the Pistons, the other being re-signing free-agent point guard Jose Calderon. The Pistons acquired Calderon from the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 30 as part of a three-team deal that sent Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Pistons’ plan was to aggressively go after Smith, who is a secondary option to teams that are targeting Dwight Howard.

The addition of Smith would add more size to a frontcourt that already has Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. The 6’9” Smith averaged 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists for Atlanta last season.

Smith has the versatility to play the 3 if teamed with Drummond and Monroe, but questions remain about Smith’s shot selection. Smith hoisted a career-high 201 3-point attempts in 2012-13, but made just 30.3 percent of them, and he is only a career 28.3 percent shooter from long range.

Smith’s addition creates the potential for the Pistons to be a Wilt Chamberlain-esque disaster at the foul line, as well. Smith shot a career-low 51.7 percent from the stripe last season, making just 166-of-321. Drummond was even worse for the Pistons, making just 37.1 percent of his 159 free-throw attempts.

By comparison, Greg Monroe’s 68.9 percent mark from the line looks like Steve Nash.

Meeting with free agent Andre Iguodala is also on Joe Dumars’ to-do list as free agency opens. Photo Credit: NBA.com

Dumars is also scheduled to meet with Denver Nuggets free-agent Andre Iguodala, who emerged as a star under current Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks when both were with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, according to Yahoo Sports, it’s not likely the Pistons are interested in trying to outbid the Nuggets to get Iguodala, who will also meet with Denver general manager Tim Connelly and coach Brian Shaw today in Los Angeles.

This is a crucial offseason for Dumars, who has already been put on the defensive after his decision on draft night to select Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and bypass former Michigan star Trey Burke. Dumars told the Detroit News there were reasons for selecting Caldwell-Pope and second-round choices Tony Mitchell of North Texas and Peyton Siva of Louisville, but he sounded a bit Stern as he did so, citing “basketball reasons.”

"We wanted to get athletic, get tougher and add shooting. We think they fit who we are on the court and off. When you sit in these seats and deal with the expectations … to do the job right, you have to be above that type of thinking (fan pressure). You have to do what’s best for your team."