Former Blazers Guard Expected to Work Out For West Rival: Report

Smith Jr. last played in the NBA during the 2023-24 season with the Brooklyn Nets. The former first-round draft pick has been overseas, playing with Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.

The former NBA guard was originally drafted by the Mavericks with the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Smith Jr. was expected to be an explosive player for Dallas coming out of college, but he never quite lived up to the hype.

After leaving the Mavericks at the trade deadline in 2019, Smith Jr. had stints with the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. Eventually, he made his way to the Trail Blazers in 2021.

Smith Jr.'s time with the Trail Blazers didn't last too long due to injury. In the middle of the 2021-22 season, he was diagnosed with a high-grade partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Originally, he was ruled out for multiple weeks and was expected to return before the season ended. But the Trail Blazers decided to cut ties with him and waived him, just a few days after the injury occurred.

Smith Jr. then made his way to the Charlotte Hornets after recovering before joining the Nets. If he does return to the Mavericks, it could be a full-circle moment, and he could help a team in desperate need of guard help.

The former Trail Blazers guard didn't have a long career, but he has shown minor moments of what he can do. During his time with Portland, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game over 36 contests.

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