Dallas Basketball

WATCH: Ex-Mavs PG Dennis Smith Jr. Cooks Cavs' Donovan Mitchell in Miami Pickup Game

If the Dallas Mavericks haven't already considered extending a training camp invitation to unrestricted free agent Dennis Smith Jr., they should probably do so given their need for a backup point guard.

Dalton Trigg

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we are here yet again to let you know that the Dallas Mavericks should consider bringing back former 2017 first-round pick Dennis Smith Jr., who has looked fantastic this summer.

In the latest example of Smith Jr.'s potential revival, he spent some time dicing up recently traded star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell in a Miami pickup game.

Although Smith Jr. has had his struggles in recent years, he is finally 100 percent healthy for the first time in a long time and is ready to prove that he's deserving of a guaranteed roster spot. To do that, though, he must first get a training camp invitation.

Given the Mavs' need for a playmaker/ball-handler off the bench, paired with the fact that they currently have an open training camp roster spot, it would make sense for the Dallas front office to give the reunion a shot. Not only could Smith Jr. potentially help the Mavs on the court, but he would be a great presence off the court as well being that he's still friends with Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Although things didn't end smoothly between Smith Jr. and the Mavs in 2019 when he was traded to the New York Knicks, none of that drama – which was mostly media driven – had to do with the players on the roster or owner Mark Cuban. With Smith Jr. still being just 24 years old, it would be interesting to see how coach Jason Kidd could further develop his game.

But again ... you can never know for sure unless you actually try it. We're just wondering what exactly the Mavs are waiting for at this point.

You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Mavericks? Click Here.

Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter.

Follow DallasBasketball.com on Facebook.

Check out our latest Mavs Step Back episode:

Published
Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.

Home/News