Pistons Sign Joe Smith

Joe Smith, declared a free agent in a salary cap evasion case by the NBA, signed a $2.25 million contract with the Detroit Pistons Monday for the rest of the season.

Smith visited Detroit a week ago, getting a standing ovation when he attended the Pistons-Supersonics game with Detroit general manager Joe Dumars. He said at the time that Detroit and Dallas were on his short list, if he left the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"We are very excited to have Joe Smith choose the Pistons," Dumars said in a statement. "We are committed to building this team the right way, and to have Smith select Detroit as his home is an endorsement of that."

Smith, who will join the team later this week, has averaged 14.5 points per game in his career. Last season with the Timberwolves, he averaged 9.9 ppg.

Minnesota signed Smith to a free agent contract in 1999, with the secret promise of $86 million over seven years after that, a salary cap violation.

The NBA punished the Timberwolves by taking away their next five first-round draft picks and fining them $3.5 million, the biggest fine in league history.

NBA commissioner David Stern also voided Smith's contract for this season and the previous two seasons, taking away the so-called Larry Bird rights that would have allowed the Wolves to sign Smith to a multimillion-dollar contract next season.

If he stayed with the Timberwolves, Smith would only have been able to earn $611,000 under league rules.


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