The franchise was hopeful J-Smoove's return to the team would also mark a return to last season's Houston Rockets. It didn't quite work out that way.
When the Rockets re-acquired Josh Smith in a trade with the Clippers back on January 22nd, there was miniscule flicker of optimism the mercurial forward may have actually been the missing piece in a thus-far (and eventually overall) disappointing season.
Chemistry can be a quirky equation sometimes. And with multiple Rockets lobbying for Smith's return to the team after the front office failed to resign him in the offseason, GM Daryl Morey snagged an offer he couldn't refuse, actually convincing the Clippers to pay Houston $460,000 to take Smith off their hands.