Ish Smith Agrees to Three-Year Deal with the Detroit Pistons

Ish Smith, who will forever be a Wake Forest legend for his heroic buzzer-beater to defeat Texas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, is about to become a very wealthy man. On Friday, the first day of the NBA free agency period, Ish Smith agreed to a three-year deal with the Detroit Pistons that is worth a total of $18 million.

Ish has made the league minimum during each of his first six seasons in the NBA. Honestly, just the fact that he’s still in the NBA is a major success. He went undrafted in 2010, and has played for 9 teams. It’s very rare that undrafted players get opportunities in the league, but Ish has made the most of each of his opportunities in the league, and deserves every dime he’s about to receive. Ish averaged 14.7 points and 7 assists per game last year during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s expected that he will make more next season than he has during his first six years combined.

Ish is going to a team in the Detroit Pistons that is on the rise. They have an excellent coach in Stan Van Gundy, and a very strong core of young and talented players. The Pistons should make the playoffs this year, and I expect Ish to be a valuable part of the rotation. Congratulations to Ish on this deal. He’s earned it, and he makes us all very proud to be Deacs.