Dennis Smith Jr. signs one-year deal to rejoin Mavericks
dennis-smith-jr-signs-one-year-deal-to-rejoin-mavericks
DALLAS — Guard Dennis Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management told ESPN on Thursday.
The 27-year-old returns to the organization that drafted him No. 9 overall in 2017. He will enter training camp competing for a roster spot on a team that is currently at capacity, though guard Brandon Williams is on a partially guaranteed deal.
Smith spent his first season and a half in Dallas, averaging a career-best 15.2 points and earning 2017-18 All-Rookie honors. In January 2019 he was sent to the New York Knicks as part of the trade that moved Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks.
After two seasons in New York, Smith was dealt to the Detroit Pistons in February 2021 in the transaction that returned Derrick Rose to the Knicks. He then logged single seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets. During the 2023-24 campaign with Brooklyn, he ranked second in steals per 36 minutes among NBA players who logged at least 1,000 minutes.
Smith spent the 2024-25 season with Real Madrid in the EuroLeague before opting to return to the NBA. Over seven league seasons, he has averaged 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds across 326 games.
Source: ESPN
