September 26: Smith has officially signed with the Mavs, the team announced today (via Twitter).
September 18: The Mavericks are signing Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Dallas selected Smith with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft and he spent the first season and a half of his career there.
Dallas has 15 players on standard contracts before signing Smith, including Brandon Williams, who is only guaranteed for $200K until opening night.
Smith’s contract is presumably non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed, setting up an opportunity for him to earn a spot on the opening-night roster if he performs well enough in training camp.
Before the Mavericks waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s contract to bring back Dante Exum, they reportedly toyed with the idea of moving Jaden Hardy. It’s unclear whether that’s still on the table at all, but if the Mavericks wanted to keep both Smith and/or Williams, it would mean moving Hardy or another player via trade to clear up a spot.
A 6’2″ guard out of NC State, Smith averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 assists in 101 games (all starts) with the Mavericks from 2017-19. He was moved at the 2019 deadline to the Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 58 games for a franchise, having become a journeyman guard from 2019-24.
Smith had perhaps his most impressive season of his career in 2022/23, when he emerged as one of the premier guard defenders in the league while playing for the Hornets and averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per contest. However, the Hornets didn’t bring him back and he spent the following season for Brooklyn before not playing in the NBA last season.
In all, Smith holds career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 326 career games (152 starts).
link to si.com
This is a good signing. Not only gives them depth. Also insurance on Russ imploding. Dallas also has a young PG came up thru their G-league. Williams who should get some mins too. Smith needs to take advantage. He could get another contract here.
Brandon Williams came from the Trail Blazers, a young prospect under Lillard but then Portland got rid of him for some reason. He has been bouncing around everywhere and hopefully found a home. I think he can be a starter somewhere soon
Who is “Russ”?
Probably D Russel
Praise the Lord and Pass the Martinis
Keep Brandon Williams. I like Smith too damn
He’s probably just competing with Brandon Williams in camp.
Again???? Yet Lonnie Walker is out of the league????
Hardy plays well in sporadic minutes….a change wouldn’t hurt.
With Exum injury history. And fact he isn’t a PG. I don’t get why they would give him a roster spot. Before Williams and Smith. Imo Williams should have earned it with his play last year. I am not a big Russell fan. With Smith and Williams pushing him for mins. Mavs PG situation is better off.
Necesitan hacer lo que hicieron con Berea con Powell
Exum is a PG, had played there 90% of his career and for the Boomers
Look up what a PG is …..
He has NEVER been a PG in NBA. He was drafted as an athletic guard with size. Read his scouting before draft. If you you watch ball an understand what you are watching. Exum has never shown the ability to run the point.
link to google.com
Exum is a PG.
Exum doesn’t play PG regardless of what he may be listed at or may have played for the Boomers. In the NBA he flunked out as a PG and went and reinvented himself into the mold of a spot up shooting 2 guard who can hit the corner 3. The Mavs very rarely have him bringing the ball up because his ball handling is subpar for a PG in the NBA which is why he went back to Australia and worked on his shooting. Playing PG in NBL is extremely less challenging than the NBA…