Joshua LaTrell Smith (born May 14, 1992)[1] is an American professional basketball player for the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the Japanese B.League.

He attended college at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was one of the top freshman players in the Pac-10 Conference.

[2] Smith learned to use his height and weight to his advantage while playing for his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, the Seattle Rotary, and then at Kentwood High School.

[2] As a senior, he averaged 23.2 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, and led Kentwood to Washington's Class 4A title.

He was named Washington's player of the year by Associated Press and earned McDonald's All-American honors and selection into the Jordan Brand Classic.

[10][11] He became a dominant presence late in the season as the Bruins advanced to the third round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.

"[12] Howland thought Smith had a future playing professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), "provided he does certain things."

[14] However, he did not do much to improve his game in the offseason, and he began 2011–12 at roughly the same size if not larger; his conditioning affected his production.

[8] As his fitness level deteriorated, he was not able to play for extended periods of time, and was instead rotated in for two- or three-minute stints.

[14] In spite of his fitness and focus issues, some coaches in the Pac-12 (the Pac-10 had expanded by then) considered him the conference's top NBA prospect.

He practiced with the Hoyas basketball team, but was not allowed to play due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules.

[19] He bounced back nicely, and was named one of 15 candidates for the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the top center in college basketball.

[23][24] After appearing in seven preseason games, he was waived on October 24 in the Rockets' final round of cuts before the regular season.

[25][26] On November 2, 2015, Smith was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Rockets.

[28] As the season progressed, Smith's weight increased and his playing time fell, and he was nearly cut by the Vipers.