Inside The Wizards

Wizards Hire Former PG as Scout

The Washington Wizards are bringing in a familiar face.

Jeremy Brener

Mar 29, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (4) dribble by Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (4) dribble by Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are adding a former player to their staff, according to The Athletic insider Josh Robbins.

"The Washington Wizards have hired former NBA point guard Ish Smith as a pro scout, team officials said. Smith, who had two stints with the Wizards, played for an NBA-record 13 different teams," Robbins tweeted.

Smith, 36, played for the Charlotte Hornets last season and was waived in February, subsequently leading to his retirement from the NBA. Smith played for nearly half of the franchises in the NBA, giving him oodles of connections from across the league, making him an ideal scout for the Wizards.

Smith joined the Wizards as a player in 2019 and left in 2021, then returned for 28 games at the end of the 2021-22 campaign after being acquired in a trade for Vernon Carey Jr.

Throughout his career, Smith played for the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets, where he won his lone NBA championship in 2023.

Throughout his career, Smith averaged 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

While Smith may not have been able to stay in one NBA home for very long, he was always someone that was desirable by a team. That is what led him to have a long career as a player, and that is what is helping fuel the next stage of his basketball life.

Smith hopes that his efforts as a scout can help the Wizards during their rebuild, breaking away from their 15-win campaign last season.

While Smith begins his scouting journey, the Wizards are getting ready for their preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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