Image via WikipediaThe text message was short and to the point.
"Call me ASAP," Joe Smith's agent wrote.
The news was better than expected.
"You've been traded to the Lakers," Smith's agent told him.
Smith has been smiling since he got the news the Lakers agreed to acquire him from the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday. The trade became official Wednesday and Smith took his physical and joined his new teammates Thursday.
"At this point in my career, this is probably a great move because this team has won two in a row and has a chance to win a third one," he said. "Hopefully, I can be a part of it and try to bring whatever I can to the table to help us succeed."
The Lakers will be Smith's 12th team in an NBA career that's in its 16th season. He didn't even try to name his former clubs and said, "I've lost count." The 35-year-old forward is a former No. 1 overall pick by Golden State in 1995.
Despite his vast NBA experience, Smith has not played deep into the playoffs. He was with Cleveland when it lost to Boston in the second round in 2008, but that's as far as he has gone.
He has never been with a team like the Lakers, who are trying for a three-peat. He admitted he had all but given up the idea of playing for a championship contender, "but I was still hopeful that something could happen where I could end up in a place like this."
Mission accomplished.
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