Should the Nets Take a Flier on Nick Smith Jr. After Hornets Waive the Young Guard?

When the Brooklyn Nets decided to give former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin a chance to prove himself outside of Atlanta, their backcourt rotation was seemingly set. However, before Bufkin was acquired, it also appeared that the Nets were comfortable with the guards they'd added this summer.

That choice reinforced the fact that, regardless of where the current roster stands, Brooklyn is always in the business of making in better. With this in mind, it wouldn't be surprising to see the franchise entertain the idea of giving another former first-rounder a new home, this time by way of Nick Smith Jr.

Smith, 21, was a member of the same draft class as Bufkin but was taken later in the first round (27th overall). Heading into his freshman season at Arkansas, there was plenty of hype, but a persistent knee injury forced him to miss most of his only collegiate campaign—hence the low draft spot.

The 2024-25 season began to display Smith's promise, but his averages of 9.9 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 weren't enough to keep him in Charlotte, as he was waived on Thursday, per Michael Scotto.

Now, Brooklyn's backcourt is already quite crowded. In addition to the aforementioned Bufkin, the Nets added Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf in June's draft. Plus, the arrival of Terance Mann and retention of Cam Thomas add another two faces to a packed rotation.

With these pieces in place, there simply just isn't a need for Smith—unless he really impresses. Brooklyn can offer him a training camp invite, assuming no other team scoops him up, and allow him to compete for a roster spot. If he continues showing promise, then some tough decisions will have to be made personnel-wise. If he doesn't, than the Nets simply don't commit to him and move on elsewhere.

On paper, not only does it seem like a can't-lose situation, but also aligns with exactly what Brooklyn has done this offseason in an attempt to find its next hidden gem. Guys like Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme, who really caught on last season, wouldn't have been able to show what they can do without the oppourtunity.

There's no guarantee that Smith would end up as successful as those two, but the Nets wouldn't know unless they gave him a workout.

It seems unlikely that the former first-rounder will be on the open market for very long, but Brooklyn should absolutely explore the possibility of adding Smith if said market dries up.