Dennis Smith Jr. signs training camp deal with Mavericks, but whether he fits the roster isn’t clear

Dennis Smith Jr. has signed a training camp deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, reuniting the former 2017 lottery pick with his old franchise at least temporarily.

Smith didn’t play in the NBA last season, but he had turned himself into a defensive journeyman in the prior seasons with stops in Portland, Charlotte, and Brooklyn. Smith, who made the All-NBA rookie team after the Mavericks selected him ninth overall in 2017, has often struggled to remain healthy and still hasn’t made much improvement as an offensive player, shooting just 25.1 percent from 3 in his last three seasons. But Smith did impress as a point-of-attack defender, which earned him minutes and put his still explosive athleticism to more practical use.

At this moment, Dallas doesn’t have an open roster spot. It’s plausible, but unlikely, the team could find a trade destination for Jaden Hardy, whose three-year, $18-million extension starts this coming season, without including one of its two available second-round picks. Instead, Smith’s route to making the team likely involves beating out Brandon Williams, the 25-year-old guard who impressed down the stretch of last season with efficient three-level scoring. Williams’ contract for next season isn’t guaranteed, meaning Dallas could waive him at any point without it affecting the team’s salary cap.

Dallas could find Smith’s point-of-attack defense useful on the roster as it stands. Currently, even as the team has leaned into Nico Harrison’s defense-first vision, it still isn’t clear if there’s an ideal player to matchup against quicker guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Ja Morant. (Caleb Martin is probably the team’s best bet for that role, but he has offensive and injury concerns.) But the Mavericks’ creation and shooting is a more urgent concern, and it’s unquestioned Williams is the player better suited to help them there.

In all likelihood, Smith will simply use this as an opportunity to audition for a role on other teams. But given Williams’ contract and Harrison’s defensive vision, it’s always plausible there’s another outcome if Smith can earn it.