Dec 30, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. (1) brings the ball up court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

NBA insider provides real reason the Dallas Mavericks brought back Dennis Smith Jr.

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 10:51 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks brought back former lottery pick and fan favorite Dennis Smith Jr. earlier this week on what is expected to be a training camp Exhibit-9 deal. Dallas doesn't have any open standard roster spots, so it'll be an uphill battle for Smith to make the roster, even if they do need some guard help.

NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that the reason the Mavericks wanted to make this move is to secure Dennis Smith's G-League rights, which come with the Exhibit-9 contract if he's waived. He's another body in training camp and may even appear in some preseason games, but it's a long shot for him to make the roster at this point.

Smith, though, needs a monster training camp to force his way onto Dallas' roster. He'll likely be on a Exhibit 9 deal like Malcolm Brogdon with New York ... but on a team with no room.

Among Dallas' motivations for signing Smith, sources say, was securing his G League rights. https://t.co/sYhecbPIOv
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 19, 2025

The Mavericks have an interesting guard rotation for the early portion of the season as Kyrie Irving recovers from ACL surgery. They signed D'Angelo Russell to fill in for Irving, with Dante Exum, Brandon Williams, and Jaden Hardy fighting for backup minutes behind him. They also have undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard on a two-way contract, who flashed potential in the NBA Summer League.

Exum, if healthy, seems primed to be the primary backup point guard and can likely even play alongside Russell and Irving. But health will always be a big question mark for him; he played just 20 games last season after a wrist injury in training camp required surgery, and he fractured his hand near the end of the season.

Dennis Smith Jr. vs. Brandon Williams vs. Jaden Hardy

If Dennis Smith Jr. is going to crack the roster, it's likely going to come at the expense of Brandon Williams or Jaden Hardy. Williams was playing really well last season, well enough that they signed him to a standard NBA contract. However, he has the easiest contract to move on from if they needed to.

Preferably, the team could find a way to move on from Jaden Hardy, who was signed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension before last season, a move that was a little confusing at the time. He spent last year battling four different right ankle sprains and was mostly inefficient when he did play. However, the Mavericks had already attempted to trade him to sign Exum before waiving and stretching Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

That's why it's unlikely for Dennis Smith Jr. to remain on the team. If he's that much better in training camp and in the preseason, the Mavs will find a way, but he'd have to really make an impression.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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