Hornets sign Ish Smith to one year deal

The Charlotte Hornets and guard Ish Smith have come to terms on a one year deal per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Smith will replace the recently departed Devonte’ Graham as the Hornets backup point guard behind LaMelo Ball.

Smith is a local kid, hailing from Concord, NC, which sits just to the northeast of Charlotte. The 33-year-old will be joining his 12th NBA team in his 12th NBA season. He spent the last two seasons with the Washington Wizards, where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 36.7% from three. He’s not a volume 3-point shooter, but he has to be respected from deep and is a very strong finisher around the basket.

The deal is for $4.5 million this season with a team option for the second season.

So Smith comes at a bargain, and the Hornets can cut bait after a year if it doesn’t work out or if better options present themselves.