The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with high-flying scorer Dennis Smith Jr., who scored 15.2 points per game for the Mavs in his rookie season, back in 2017-18.
ESPN’s Shams Charania (who else) was the first to report the news
on Thursday evening, after hearing from Smith Jr.’s agent, Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management. Terms of the deal, other than it being one year in length, were not immediately available.Smith Jr. was named to the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Team after
scoring 15.2 points and dishing 5.2 assists per game after being selected by Dallas with the ninth overall pick of the 2017 Draft. He spent a year and a half with the Mavericks before being traded to the New York Knicks in the deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to town in January 2019.
His tenure with the Knicks never materialized into the kind of NBA stardom he seemed destined for in his first couple of seasons. A slipped disc in his back was a huge setback at the time, and at one point he was booed by the home crowd at Madison Square Garden, who apparently preferred to watch Frank Ntilikina, who Mavs fans are also somewhat familiar with. Smith Jr.’s stepmother died around that time, and the ensuing crisis of confidence followed him for years afterward.
Smith Jr. played for three different teams (the Portland Trailblazers, Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets) in three consecutive seasons from 2021 through 2024, when he really improved defensively, even ranking second in steals per 36 minutes among NBA players to play 1,000 minutes in that time. He spent last season in the EuroLeague, playing for Real Madrid.
Charania characterized the signing as an opportunity for Smith Jr. to “compete in training camp in Dallas.” There is already speculation that the 15th and final roster spot could come down to a battle between DSJ or Brandon Williams, who, though undersized, impressed coaches and fans when forced into heavy minutes last year after injuries ravaged the Mavericks’ roster toward the end of the season.
He signed a partially guaranteed one-year deal this offseason, in a deal where Williams’ salary protection increases from $200,000 to $850,000 if he is on the roster for the Mavericks’ first game. Williams averaged 16.6 points and 4.5 assists per game over 11 games in March. Dallas will hold its training camp in Vancouver, of all places, from September 30 through October 4.
The Mavs also re-signed Dante Exum on a one-year deal in July, but DSJ could be considered a little bit of an insurance policy against Exum’s own lengthy injury history.
With Kyrie Irving on the shelf, definitely to begin the season and probably for most of the year, the Mavericks are throwing the kitchen sink at the guard position in hopes of finding someone capable of bridging the gap until the 33-year-old superstar comes back from surgery to repair the torn ACL he suffered during a March 3 game against the Sacramento Kings.
D’Angelo Russell is likely to get first crack at the starting point guard position after agreeing to a two-year deal with the Mavs early in free agency this offseason. Rookie and two-way signee Ryan Nembhard out of Gonzaga might also be in the mix for backup in the ball-handling department with Smith Jr., Exum and Williams as well.
Smith, who is still just 27, has averaged 9.7 points, 4.2 assists and just over three rebounds per game in 326 games over seven NBA seasons.
