Journeyman king and former Denver Nuggets champion Ish Smith is officially retiring. Smith is best known for his itinerant basketball career, where he played for an NBA record 13 different teams. That being said, he was also an underrated member of the 2022-2023 Nuggets.
The speedy 6-foot-0 PG began his decade-and-a-half career suiting up for nine different teams through his first six seasons in the NBA. He found several multi-season homes with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards late in his career, and was ultimately acquired by the Nuggets via the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope trade.
KCP was obviously the big addition in the deal that helped push Jokic and co over the top, but Ish Smith was the nice cherry on the trade for Denver. The then-34-year-old had a bigger impact than his stats would suggest as the Nuggets ran through a championship season.
Smith appeared in 43 regular season games with the Nuggets, and saw garbage time on the court in four playoff games. His averages were just 2.5 PPG and 2.3 APG out of 9.3 MPG, but his importance to team chemistry and leadership went far beyond that.
Smith, 34, was the second-oldest player on the Nuggets’ title team, just ahead of DeAndre Jordan and only behind 36-year-old Jeff Green in the experience department. The Nuggets locker room full of veterans took a hit after he and Green went elsewhere last offseason after winning a championship.
In addition to experience, Ish Smith brings a joy and enthusiasm to that team that is hard to miss. While some veterans and players on the bench may be looking to get more playing time or thinking about their next contracts, Smith remains by his team’s side as Jokic and Murray head towards a title. He seemed genuinely excited for the opportunity to witness the greatness of the world.
Russell Westbrook has now joined Denver and will look to bring the same experience, joy and enthusiasm to the Nuggets next season that Smith brought in 2022-2023. Meanwhile, Smith will enjoy the latest chapter in his post-retirement story as he transitions from player to professional scout for the Washington Wizards.