By: Brandon Apter, managing editor 
When free agency began in 2015, Ish Smith turned down deals from Sacramento and Phoenix in hopes of receiving an offer from the Philadelphia 76ers. They never called. He didn't wait for them this time around. After being informed by the Sixers earlier this week that they'd like to have him return, Smith signed a three-year contract worth $18 million with the Pistons after not hearing from Philadelphia before 3:30 this morning.
Here are the details from Keith Pompey at the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“He wanted to come back to Philly, but they never called him,” the source said.
The free-agency period started at 12 a.m. Friday. The Sixers had told Smith that they wanted him to come back as a reserve. However, Smith had not heard from the Sixers by 3:30 a.m., the source said, and that's when the North Carolina native accepted the Pistons offer.
“He said, ‘Last year, I waited on Philly, and Philly did me in,’ ” the source said.
The Sixers acquired Smith this past season after opting not to resign him over the summer in 2015. They sent two second round picks to New Orleans for the veteran guard's services, which lasted a little over three months.
After losing 30 of their first 31 games last season, the Sixers posted a 6-9 record in the 15 games following Smith's return. In 50 games with the team, Smith averaged a career-high in both points per game (14.7) and assists per game (7.0). He becomes an unrestricted free agent at 12am on July 1.
Currently, second year undrafted free agent T.J. McConnell is the only point guard on the Sixers. The free agent market for guards is thinning by the minute as Jeremy Lin has signed with the Nets, D.J. Augustin joins the Magic and Bradley Beal has resigned with the Wizards.
