Dallas Mavericks hand former draft pick another chance

Dennis Smith Jr will get another shot in the NBA. The North Carolina point guard, still only 27 – so in theory with years of basketball ahead if injuries allow – has agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

That means Smith Jr is back with the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2017, initially seen as the cornerstone of the post–Dirk Nowitzki era. The German legend, who retired in 2019, was already 39 when Dallas turned to Smith. His rookie season showed promise – 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game – but everything changed in 2018 when Luka Dončić arrived. It quickly became clear who the true franchise player was, and Smith, who also needed the ball in his hands in those early years, was sent to the Knicks in January 2019 as part of the Kristaps Porziņģis trade.

What happened to Smith in Madrid?

Last season Smith tried his luck with Real Madrid, who were scrambling for solutions during a turbulent campaign marked by injuries and a major roster overhaul that saw key veterans leave and new arrivals struggle to settle. But Smith joined already injured and barely played. Signed on December 20, he left the club on February 18, logging only 35 minutes split between two league and two EuroLeague games. He wasn’t even called up for the Copa del Rey – the marquee event that coincided with his brief and frustrating spell in white. He arrived with the aura of a former NBA star-in-waiting but never once reached proper fitness. Once he realized that, he chose to step aside, and Madrid quickly moved on. His signing had already sparked internal disagreements.

Physical and confidence issues, magnified in the demanding spotlight of Madison Square Garden, shattered any hopes of stardom. With the Knicks from 2019 to 2021, Smith began suffering the back problems that have haunted him since, in a journeyman stretch that also included the Trail Blazers, Hornets and Nets. During that period he reshaped himself into a defensive-minded role player, a physical backup guard – a role in which he hoped to reset his NBA path.

But he never stuck anywhere, the injuries kept coming, and Madrid wasn’t the springboard he hoped for. Now he’ll have to fight for a roster spot in Dallas. His main competition at the back of the Mavericks’ rotation will be Brandon Williams, a small guard who impressed last season when injuries tore through the roster.

Smith’s future could also hinge on Dante Exum’s health. The Australian signed another one-year deal this summer and will keep his place – if he can finally stay fit. With Kyrie Irving sidelined for most of the season by a serious knee injury, Dallas has D’Angelo Russell as the new starting point guard. Beyond that, they’ll juggle rotations on the perimeter, potentially opening a door for Smith Jr, who has played 326 NBA games with averages of 9.7 points and 4.2 assists.

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