After playing for four different teams in his first five NBA seasons, the Charlotte Hornets took a chance on former No. 9 overall pick Dennis Smith Jr., signing him to a free agent deal ahead of the 2022-23 season. Prior to that, Smith Jr. enjoyed his best season during his rookie campaign, averaging over 15 points for the Dallas Mavericks
and earning a fifth-place finish in Rookie of the Year Award voting.Smith Jr., an NC State product, would go on to play 54 games for the Hornets, averaging 8.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks. After a season with the Hornets, Smith Jr. would play one more year with the Brooklyn Nets before signing overseas with Real Madrid. Now, the seven-year NBA veteran plays in the G-League,
still hoping to make a comeback at age 28.
Throughout the season, Rookie Wire is documenting the jersey number history of the Charlotte Hornets
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Charlotte Hornets jersey history No. 8 Dennis Smith Jr. 2022-2023
