The Mavericks are bringing back Dennis Smith Jr. on a training camp deal, giving their former lottery pick another shot at an NBA career.
Dallas has signed the 27-year-old guard to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract as the team prepares to open training camp on September 30. Smith will need to impress coaches during camp to secure a spot on the roster for the upcoming season.
The Mavs currently have 14 of their 15 active roster spots filled after signing Dante Exum to a one-year, $2.3 million deal earlier this offseason.
NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news about Smith’s return to Dallas, where his NBA journey began.
“Guard Dennis Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks,” Charania reported on social media. “Smith reunites with the franchise that drafted him No. 9 overall in 2017 and now he’ll compete in training camp in Dallas.”
Smith has been on quite a journey since leaving the Mavericks. He’s spent the past year playing overseas with Real Madrid in the EuroLeague after failing to land an NBA contract for the 2024-25 season.
His last NBA action came with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023-24, where he appeared in 56 games and averaged 6.6 points per game.
What many fans might not realize is that Smith was actually an elite defender during that Brooklyn stint. He ranked second in steals per 36 minutes among all NBA players who logged at least 1,000 minutes that season, according to ESPN.
The athletic guard was once seen as a cornerstone piece for the Mavericks’ rebuild. Dallas selected him ninth overall in the 2017 draft after his standout performance at NC State.
Smith started all 101 games he played during his first two seasons with the Mavs. His rookie campaign remains his most productive, when he averaged 15.2 points per game – still his career high.
His initial Dallas tenure ended at the 2018-19 trade deadline when he was shipped to the Knicks. Since then, Smith has bounced around the league, playing for six different franchises over his seven professional seasons.
Despite all the movement, the Mavericks remain the team where Smith has played the most games in his career.
The path to making the roster won’t be easy. Dallas already has a crowded backcourt featuring Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams. However, Williams is on a partially guaranteed contract, potentially creating an opening for Smith if he outperforms the competition.
Can the former lottery pick do enough to earn a full-time roster spot with the team that drafted him? Training camp will tell the story.
