Anytime a big-name player gets released from a team, speculation immediately jumps to which teams will be interested in signing him, and it has been no different with Josh Smith. The Detroit Pistons waived the forward on Monday despite the fact that he had two years and $26 million left on his contract with the team.

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Rumors immediately swirled that Houston was the leading candidate to land Smith, but according to ESPN, the Miami Heat are making moves that may allow them to enter the race for Smith's services. The Heat have filed for a disabled player exception in the wake of Josh McRoberts' season-ending injury, and they hope it will be granted by the time that Smith clears waivers.

Smith is expected to clear waivers on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Philadelphia 76ers are the only team in the league that has sufficient cap room to claim Smith, and based on their intention to lose as many games as possible, adding a player with any kind of talent seems like a long shot for them.

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If they receive the exception, the Heat will be able to offer Smith as much or more than the other suitors that are considered serious destinations for him. However, many league sources still peg Houston and Dallas as the favorites to land Smith because of his personal relationships with Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo.

The Rockets believe they have the edge because they would appear to have the best title chances out of the interested teams.