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The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Craig Smith today reached an agreement that will enable the power forward to return to the team for 2010-11.
Smith, who averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 16.4 minutes in 75 games played with Los Angeles last season, also connected on 57 percent of his field goals on the year. He was originally acquired by the Clippers, along with Sebastian Telfair and Mark Madsen from Minnesota, on July 20, 2009 in exchange for Quentin Richardson.
An Inglewood native and former Fairfax High School star, Smith averaged a career-high 10.1 points to go with 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 19.7 minutes in 74 games played for Minnesota during the 2008-09 season. Smith, a career 56 percent shooter from the field, has appeared in 308 career NBA games.
Smith was drafted by Minnesota with the 36th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft after a standout career at Boston College that saw him average 18.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 130 games from 2002-2006. Smith finished his Eagles career as the school’s all-time leading rebounder (1,114) and second in points (2,349) and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first Team in 2005-06.
