Can Dennis Smith Jr. Complete NBA Comeback With Mavs?

“The Mavericks have a full roster currently,” Charania notes, “although guard Brandon Williams is on a partially guaranteed contract.”

Considering Charania’s phrasing, Smith’s direct competition for Dallas’s final roster spot may be 25-year-old guard Brandon Williams. With that being said, Williams might seem like the underdog in this situation because of his low profile. However, his play towards the end of 2024-25 suggests that he’s a diamond in the rough.

Dennis Smith Jr. versus Brandon Williams?

Over the course of 33 games, Williams averaged 8.3 points and 2.3 assists per contest, shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from 3. In the 15-game stretch between Feb. 12 and Apr. 11, he averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He remained ultra-efficient in this span, shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Even more impressive was that he excelled when the Mavs needed him most. This is important because, despite sports being seen as a business, it’s often sentimental. For a team like Dallas, who’s walking on eggshells with the fan base, his ability to step up the plate after Luka Doncic was traded and Kyrie Irving was injured matters could be a legitimate factor in Dallas keeping him on board.

Of course, it ultimately comes down to their actual play. Keeping that in perspective, Smith’s injury history isn’t his only hurdle. His 3-ball, which has frankly never been great, is an issue that’s become more glaring as the league has shifted towards 3-point proliferation. Given that Smith’s most likely path to minutes would be during Irving’s recovery from an ACL tear, him having a reliable 3-ball is now more of a necessity than a luxury.

What Smith can bank on is his athleticism, pick-and-roll play, point-of-attack defense, and intangibles. To the latter point, Smith is considered to be a solid locker room addition due to his lightheartedness. That could actually become essential for a Mavs team that’s faced an avalanche of criticism since Doncic was traded. However, the way he can complement the scoring-minded Irving, offense-leaning D’Angelo Russell, and aging Klay Thompson is even more appealing.