Adi Joseph

USA TODAY Sports

Hot take: Josh Smith still is a good basketball player who can contribute to a good basketball team.

Sure, the Detroit Pistons just decided to pay him almost $27 million to go far, far away. But the 29-year-old (that's not a typo) forward averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game this season. Not getting along with Stan Van Gundy is not proof of uselessness.

Sure, Smith has been inefficient to the point that his long jump shots that so often miss are basically an NBA Twitter punch line. But much like Rudy Gay and Monta Ellis were saved from their days as the butts of jokes, Smith can be, too. He's too talented and too rare in his talents — a 6-9 athlete with great court vision and a knack for help defense who knows how to maneuver around the basket — to fail entirely.

But let's quickly get a few things clear before we talk about Smith's next team:

He needs structure. No more long jumpers and isolation plays. He needs a coach and teammates he trusts. Otherwise he'll be back to playing like he did on the Pistons. He needs to play power forward. This is the biggest thing: Smith has always been a power forward, which puts him inside and lets his strengths manifest without temptation on the perimeter. The pay only matters a little. Smith may want a multiyear contract because he won't feel as much like a rent-a-player, but he's going to be making his pay from the Pistons for the next two seasons either way, and the NBA's collective bargaining agreement says that the more he gets from his next team, the less the Pistons have to pay him. (And yes, he'll clear waivers without issue.)

So who, then? Let's rank the best options, regardless of which teams say they want him:

1. Miami Heat

Josh McRoberts probably is out for the year. So they're in need of a power forward. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are established stars. Erik Spoelstra has their trust along with LeBron James', so Smith has no room to complain.

So the fit works in those ways. But it's more than that. The Heat know what they're doing and need one more talent to build on. Luol Deng and Smith could be a dominant forward pairing defensively. Smith will be allowed to be a playmaker since point guards Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers are used to deferring.

This is a move that could immediately vault the Heat into the large throng of Eastern Conference contenders without marginalizing Smith's talents, as some other fits would. Simply put, Josh Smith should sign with the Miami Heat.

2. Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard and Smith have a long history as Atlanta basketball stars who came out of high school together. The Rockets pursued Smith in free agency and, according to USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick, again targeted him this offseason but couldn't make a trade work. Well, now those issues are non-factors. The biggest issue is that Donatas Motiejunas and injured Terrence Jones have been pretty good at power forward. But James Harden could use help with playmaking, and there are enough three-point shooters to keep Smith playing smart. Slide him into the starting role at power forward, and he probably could improve an already good team.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Sure, there's the temptation to say the Spurs would make the most out of every player, which is true. But Smith actually makes a lot of sense for a team that has gotten so much out of versatile players. Another former castoff, Boris Diaw, and Smith are similar players in their out-sized talents but different enough to play together. Smith would have to come off the bench for the Spurs, but they have had injury issues recently to open up plenty of minutes. And they put enough shooters on the floor to keep him inside.

4. Dallas Mavericks

They've pursued Smith in the past, and the interest will rise now that he can be had for cheap. The Rajon Rondo trade mean the Mavs had to give up Brandan Wright, their best bench player. Would Smith sign on to be a bench player? Maybe not. But this would be a fit where he could play 20 to 25 minutes a game and even get some time at small forward, which would be afforded because Dirk Nowitzki is so good on the perimeter. The biggest downside is they don't need another ball-handler.

5. Indiana Pacers

This one is more for Smith than the team. The Pacers need help more than any of the other teams on this list and would be a place for Smith to show he still can be a star. The fit isn't ideal, as the Pacers' two best healthy players are power forward David West and center Roy Hibbert, both who play inside. But if Smith wants to play small forward and prove that he has more perimeter skills than given credit for, the Pacers really need a playmaker on the wings.

But also: Los Angeles Lakers

Doesn't anyone else want to put Jeremy Lin, Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, Carlos Boozer and Smith on the floor just to see what happens?