News: CBSSports.com NBA Insider Ken Berger reports that the Magic have traded J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith to the Bucks for Beno Udrih, Doron Lamb and Tobias Harris.
Analysis: Smith will continue to maintain minimal Fantasy value following this trade since he'll play behind Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and Redick. Ignore Smith in the majority of leagues moving forward.
News: With Jameer Nelson and E'Twaun Moore both sidelined with injuries, guard Ish Smith earned his first start of the season for the Magic and played well during Saturday's contest against the Raptors. He scored 13 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the field, including 1 of 2 from downtown, in a 123-88 defeat. He also chipped in with six assists, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks while logging 33 minutes of game action.
Analysis: It was nice to see Smith in the starting lineup for the Magic but with Moore out for just a week and Nelson listed as day to day, his days as a starter will end real soon, likely by Monday against Miami. He entered the game with just 12 points this season and is not expected to be a worthwhile Fantasy option for now.
News: Magic guard Ish Smith was promoted to backup point guard behind Jameer Nelson coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters on Tuesday. Smith filled in for the suspended Chris Duhon during Monday night's win over the Pistons and finished with six points and seven assists.
Analysis: Smith's early season appearances have been normally relegated to garbage time, but the 23-year-old should be looking at around 20 minutes per night off the bench for the remainder of the season. While his inconsistent production makes it tough to start him in any standard formats, owners in daily leagues may want to take a flier on Smith over the final 10 games of the year.
News: Orlando guard Ish Smith stepped up with some extra playing time on Thursday night as the Magic were without Jameer Nelson. Smith scored eight points on a 2-for-7 shooting effort. He missed both his shots from downtown and nailed all four of his foul shots. Smith saw 19 minutes of action in Orlando's 83-78 loss. Smith added five rebounds, two steals and four assists.
Analysis: Smith is merely a role player off the bench for the Magic and doesn't log a lot of time on the court. Fantasy owners should continue to ignore Smith moving forward.
News: Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando Sentinel that newly-acquired G Ish Smith would play right away, and he backed that up on Friday by playing Smith nine minutes in the Magic’s 102-94 win over the Cavaliers. Smith scored two points in his Magic debut on 1 of 2 shooting while grabbing two rebounds and dishing out three assists as the team’s back-up point guard.
Analysis: Smith, who was scoring 4.1 points per game in six appearances with the Warriors earlier in the season, was signed by the Magic mostly to provide depth at the point guard position with Jameer Nelson’s injuries. His playing time will be directly tied to the status of the players in front of him on the depth chart, and with Nelson set to return in a few days, he is likely going to be relegated to a deep reserve role soon. Because of that, you should go ahead and leave Smith on waivers until further notice.
News: The Magic signed guard Ish Smith on Thursday. Smith had recently signed with Los Angeles of the NBA Development League. The Orlando Sentinel reports Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Smith will play Friday against the Cavs.
Analysis: The Magic have been struggling on offense lately and could use some guard depth with Jameer Nelson out with injury. Smith was with the Warriors earlier this season, but he played sparingly in six games. We aren't expecting Smith to play a huge role with Orlando, so leave him on Fantasy waivers until further notice.
News: The D-Fenders of the NBA Development League signed G Ish Smith on Wednesday. Smith played in six games for the Warriors earlier in the year and averaged 4.5 points with 1.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds. Yahoo Sports reports that the Magic will call up Smith on Thursday.
Analysis: The Magic have been thin at point guard due to injuries so Smith could get some run in the near future. Keep an eye on the situation going forward. Still, continue to ignore Smith in all formats until he proves his worth on the court.
News: The Golden State Warriors released G Ish Smith on Friday in order to clear a roster spot for a backup center. Smith appears in six games with the team and averaged 5.4 points and 1.8 assists per outing. He was claimed by the Warriors after being waived by Memphis in December.
Analysis: Smith earned one start during his short tenure with Golden State as Stephen Curry has dealt with persistent ankle injuries. He could land with another team as a backup, but his Fantasy value is limited. Fantasy owners should not consider him a worthwhile option for now.
News: Warriors G Ish Smith made just the fourth start of his NBA career on Wednesday as G Stephen Curry was out with an ankle injury. In an 92-78 victory over the Knicks, Smith played 29 minutes, scoring 11 points on five-of-13 shooting with adding six rebounds and four assists. It was his best game since scoring 12 in November of last season.
Analysis: Smith had played nine combined minutes in the first two games of the season before filling in for Curry, and once Curry comes back he is likely to return to a reserve role once again. However, the Warriors may be resting Curry more often this season, so Smith could see increased playing time. He is still not worth a spot on Fantasy rosters, so don’t look his way on the waiver wire.
News: The Warriors won a waiver claim on G Ishmael Smith Friday, giving the team some competition for backup minutes behind Stephen Curry. Smith, who was waived this week by Memphis, has averaged 10.3 minutes in 43 career games.
Analysis: Smith is an athlete, one of the fastest men in the NBA, but he has not made much of that thus far in his career. He has scored in double digits all of three times in his career, and will be solely a back up in Golden State. He has no Fantasy value and should be ignored on Draft Day.
News: Though three games passed without him seeing playing time since being traded, G Ishmael Smith made his debut with the Grizzlies in Friday's loss to the Hornets. He played just nine minutes but managed to score four points on 1 of 2 shooting. Smith added a pair of free throws, a rebound and an assist on the night.
Analysis: Smith has above-average athleticism, but the Rockets didn't utilize him enough before sending him to the Grizzlies. He averages under three points and assists per game in 28 appearances this season. The rookie doesn't figure to play much more in Memphis, so he should be ignored in Fantasy play.
News: As apart of the Houston - Memphis trade Wednesday, G Ishmael Smith was sent to the Grizzlies along with Shane Battier. The Rockets received Hasheem Thabeet and F DeMarre Carroll in return.
Analysis: Smith wasn't much of a contributor in Houston, playing in just two games in February. He isn't expected to do much else once he suits up for the Grizzlies, so Fantasy owners should continue to ignore him in all formats.
News: The Rockets announced Monday that they recalled G Ishmael Smith from their NBDL affiliate, Rio Grande. Smith has appeared in 26 games this season, averaging 2.8 points per game.
Analysis: Smith is going to provide the team with some depth on the bench, but he is not expected to see much more than 10 minutes per game. He should not be owned in Fantasy.
News: The Rockets will call up PG Ishmael Smith on Monday to face the Nuggets. Houston will be short a guard thanks to the suspension of Aaron Brooks.
Analysis: Smith has played in 26 games for Houston this season, but will likely be back down in the NDBL in a few days. Continue to ignore the rookie in all Fantasy leagues.
News: The Rockets sent PG Ishmael Smith back to the NBDL on Tuesday.
Analysis: Smith has played in 26 games for Houston this season, but there just isn't room in the rotation for him at the moment. Continue to ignore the rookie in all Fantasy leagues.
News: The Rockets announced on Monday that they recalled G Ishmael Smith from NBDL Rio Grande. Smith is expected to join the team on Monday in Minnesota.
Analysis: Smith was demoted just a week ago, but the Rockets needed his presence for depth on the bench. He enjoyed a brief run of Fantasy relevance this season when injuries created a started role for him, but he is not expected to play nearly enough to matter in most Fantasy leagues barring more injuries to the players ahead of him.
News: Rockets guard Ishmael Smith was sent to the team's NBA D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley on Monday. The undrafted free agent served as a backup to Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry as Houston dealt with injuries to it's backcourt.
Analysis: Smith averaging 3.1 points, 2.4 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 24 games (three starts) for the Rockets. Since Brooks returned from his ankle injury, Smith has been inactive or just not playing. If Houston has any more injuries to it's backcourt, Smith could return to the team. But until that happens, Smith is not worth owning in any Fantasy league.
News: According to the Houston Chronicle, Rockets guard Ishmael Smith will serve as the backup point guard to Kyle Lowry with Aaron Brooks still dealing with ankle issues. Brooks has been dealing with an ankle injury all season (he's missed 22 games), which has led to more minutes for Smith and Lowry. Houston decided to keep the undrafted free agent on Tuesday, guaranteeing him a contract for the remainder of the season. Smith is averaging 3.1 points and 2.5 assists in 22 games this season. Smith did not make it into Wednesday's game against Portland though, as it was a coach's decision to keep him reserved.
Analysis: If Brooks needs more time off as the season progresses, Smith could be in line for more minutes. But without injuries ahead of him on the depth chart, Smith will likely just ride the pine in Houston. Until he's guaranteed more minutes, the rookie out of Wake Forest is not worth owning in any Fantasy format.
News: The Rockets have decided to keep undrafted free agent Ishmael Smith by guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season, reports the Houston Chronicle. Smith would have had to been waived Tuesday in order for his contract not to have been guaranteed. He is averaging 3.1 points and 2.5 assists in 22 games this season.
Analysis: Smith got a chance for a boost in playing time when Brooks went down with an ankle injury but unfortunately has not been active since Brooks' made his return to the court. While he will be with the team for the remainder of the season, there doesn't seem to be any minutes for the rookie out of Wake Forest at the moment. He can be ignored in Fantasy at this point.
News: The Houston Chronicle reports that Rockets coach Rick Adelman said Monday that Ishmael Smith has been removed from the team's rotation for the time being. Jermaine Taylor will move ahead of him on the depth chart with Courtney Lee serving as backup point guard to Kyle Lowry while Aaron Brooks (ankle) remains sidelined.
Analysis: Smith got a chance for a boost in playing time when Brooks went down with an ankle injury. After a good start, he faded away behind Kyle Lowry. Smith had already lost most of the temporary Fantasy appeal he had gained and this just seals his fate as a player with no Fantasy appeal.
News: Houston guard Ishmael Smith produced 12 points, five assists and two rebounds off the bench on Wednesday against Oklahoma City. Smith shot 5 fro 6 from the field and hit both his foul shots. Smith did start a few games with Aaron Brooks out of action for a month, but lost the starting job to Kyle Lowry. Smith added two steals in his 26 minutes on Wednesday.
Analysis: Smith and Lowry will likely continue to share time running the point with Brooks out of action, but Lowry is the more attractive Fantasy option. He may have a few good games over the next month, but isn't worth grabbing in the majority of leagues.
News: Houston guard Ishmael Smith got the start on Friday night for the Rockets, but saw little playing time in the second half. Smith's ineffectiveness led to him playing just 13 minutes and scoring no points in the Rockets 102-99 win over the Pacers. He missed both his field goal attempts. He had just one rebound, one steal and one assist.
Analysis: With Aaron Brooks out a month, Smith and Kyle Lowry will continue to share duties as the starting point guard, but after Friday night Lowry definitely is in the drivers seat. Smith is nothing more than a stopgap right now. If you are able to grab Lowry do so as he'll probably have more value once Brooks returns from injury.
News: Rockets G Ishmael Smith made another start at point guard on Wednesday against the Wizards. He finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists and has averaged 10.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 in the three games since Aaron Brooks was injured.
Analysis: Smith remained a starter even with Kyle Lowry returning from his back spasms, but Lowry was only able to play 21 minutes and did not appear to be in good enough shape to play a big role. That could come down the line, but it would appear Smith has the better short-term appeal as a potential stopgap off the waiver wire.
News: According to the team's official website, Rockets G Aaron Brooks (ankle) is expected to miss at least the next two weeks. Brooks hurt his ankle after a last second shot to end the first half on Saturday against San Antonio. Ishmael Smith got the start in his place on Sunday and contributed seven points with six assists and four rebounds.
Analysis: Smith is a rookie who had seen minimal playing time prior to the injury to Brooks. He contributed a solid 11-7-4 line on Saturday, but was cold from the floor on Sunday -- possibly dealing with some understandable jitters in his first start. Smith could lose time to Kyle Lowry whenever he is ready to return and that could be this week, but he is worth picking up in deeper formats while he is looking at an increased role. Even when Lowry comes back, he may not be ready to resume a full workload immediately.
News: Houston doesn't have a win and saw both starting guards -- Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin -- leave the game against San Antonio on Saturday with ankle injuries. Guard Ishmael Smith logged 34 minutes in the overtime loss to the Spurs. He went 4 for 16 from the field, hitting his lone 3-pointer and both foul shots, finishing with 11 points. He also had a team-high seven assists and grabbed four rebounds. He also had a steal.
Analysis: The rookie out of Wake Forest had played just 13 minutes before Saturday, netting two points. Fantasy owners should monitor the injuries to Brooks and Martin, because if either or both miss extended time Smith will be one of the players looked to carry the load. He hasn't played much this year or in the preseason, but his time could be now. Owners of Martin and Brooks could pick up Smith as a flier to see how he does -- but only if you have room your roster. He's available in all CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, but that will likely change soon.
News: The last man off the bench for the Rockets in Tuesday's season opener against the Lakers was guard Ishmael Smith. The 22-year-old rookie out of Wake Forest saw just five minutes of court time and missed his only attempted shot. He did pick up a single assist.
Analysis: Smith wasn't even playing much in the preseason so there is no reason to believe he's ever going to become part of any kind of consistent rotation in Houston this season. Until something changes, Fantasy owners do not have to have Smith on their radars.
