A few former NBA players who plied their trade overseas are looking to make a comeback stateside. On Tuesday, Lonnie Walker IV finally secured his much-awaited comeback to the association after signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. And it appears as though former Dallas Mavericks/New York Knicks/Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. is looking to follow the same path.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Smith is going to leave his current ballclub, Real Madrid, and “intends to make a return to the NBA this season”, as per his sources. With teams still figuring out their rosters for the stretch run, this is the best possible time for the 27-year-old guard to try and make his way into a roster that’s in need of some ruggedness at the guard positions.
Smith, who was the ninth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, lost his luster quickly, with the Mavericks prioritizing Luka Doncic after acquiring him in a draft-night trade a year later. The athletic guard was not deemed to be a good fit alongside Doncic, so the Mavs went out and shipped him in the trade that netted them Kristaps Porzingis.
The young guard, however, quickly fell out of favor in New York. He ended up being the main piece headed to the Detroit Pistons in the trade that brought Derrick Rose back to the Knicks in 2021. He then bounced around with the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers before seeming to have found a home in the Nets as a defensive specialist.
Alas, no team signed Smith this past offseason, which then forced his hand into making a move overseas. But there is no place like home, so the former Mavericks/Knicks guard is looking to find a place where he can resuscitate his NBA career.
Which team could use the services of ex-Mavericks/Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr.?
Any team that needs some guard depth would want to take a look at Dennis Smith Jr. He is a livewire, an athletic presence at the point, who can at least give his teams momentum with his work on the defensive end of the court. The catch, of course, is that Smith is not much of a threat offensively, particularly from the perimeter.
Perhaps a team like the Knicks would benefit from adding Smith to the roster. Or maybe teams with nothing to play for, such as the Nets, Hornets, or Trail Blazers (which, incidentally, are former teams of his), could give him a shot.
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