Mavericks reunite with Dirk Nowitzki-era player

The Dallas Mavericks are reaching way back into their contacts list this week.

Dallas has agreed to sign veteran guard Dennis Smith Jr. in free agency, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Thursday. Smith is reportedly getting a one-year deal from the Mavericks and will now have an opportunity to compete in training camp.

The 27-year-old Smith is a very familiar figure to Dallas. He was their lottery pick (No. 9 overall) during the 2017 NBA Draft and was selected over future All-Stars like Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and Jarrett Allen. Smith is also notable in that he was teammates during his first two career seasons with Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki, who retired in 2019.

Renowned primarily for his leaping ability, Smith never quite put it all together as an NBA player. He averaged a healthy 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game for Dallas as a rookie but began a sharp decline from there (mostly due to a high turnover rate and a poor jump shot). The Mavericks gave up on Smith in 2019, trading him away to the New York Knicks. Since then, Smith has also played for the Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets.

Smith did not play in the NBA at all last year, instead suiting up for a brief stint with Real Madrid in Spain. During his last season of NBA work in 2023-24, he averaged 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over 18.9 minutes per game for a rebuilding Nets team.

But with the Mavericks likely to be without Kyrie Irving for all of next season (ACL tear), they need the extra depth in their backcourt. If Smith can crack Dallas’ final roster, he will likely have a good chance to contribute alongside the other notable guard that the Mavericks just signed this offseason.