Dennis Smith Jr.

Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of college basketball and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year.

Smith was selected ninth overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Smith spent two seasons in Dallas before being traded to the New York Knicks in January 2019. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February 2021 and later joined the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent in September of the same year.

High school career

Smith attended Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. During his first year at Trinity Christian in 2013, Smith came off the bench on the varsity basketball team, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.0 assist per game. On December 28, 2013, Smith scored 41 points in a 82–73 win over HCYA and future NBA player Justin Jackson. As a sophomore, Smith and Trinity Christian defeated Greenfield by one point to win the 2014 NCISAA 1-A State Championship, while Smith scored 21 points and was named MVP. During the season, Smith averaged, 17.6 points per game and 9.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. After the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 19, 2014, at John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia. Smith also competed in the 2014 Adidas Nations.

In his junior year, Smith and Trinity Christian played in the 2014–2015 High School OT Holiday Invitational Tournament at Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh. On December 26, 2014, Smith scored 23 points to help Trinity defeat Ravenscroft School (83–60). On December 29, 2014, Smith went head to head with an Orangeville Prep that featured future NBA players Jamal Murray and Thon Maker. Smith scored 38 points in a losing effort as Trinity Christian lost (79–75) in the semi-finals. On January 15, 2015, Smith scored 25 points in a 65–54 victory over Dudley High School. On February 2, 2015, Smith scored 17 points to defeat Cape Fear Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinals. On February 11, 2015, in the last game of the season, Smith scored 33 points in a (90–58) loss to Word of God Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A Semi-finals. On the season, Smith averaged 22.2 points per game, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 3 steals, while leading the Crusaders to a (23–10) overall record. In 2015, he was named the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for North Carolina. Smith received surgery weeks later after the injury. Before the injury, in the summer of 2015, Smith competed on the Adidas Uprising Circuit for the AAU team, Team Loaded North Carolina (NC), alongside future NBA player Bam Adebayo. He led his team to victory in the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Championship. Smith averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 11 games on the circuit. On July 27, 2015, in a televised game on ESPNU, Smith recorded 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assist in a 78–77 win over Kyle Guy and Indiana Elite. On August 10, 2015, while competing in an Adidas Nations event, Smith tore his ACL, but did not feel any serious pain or swelling in his knee. During surgery, Smith's doctors found that he had an extra ACL. He was originally ruled out for his entire senior season of high school but in between 2 weeks and 2 months, he claimed that he had become more explosive, with his vertical increasing by 8 inches.

Smith was rated a five-star recruit and was considered one of the best players and point guards in the 2016 high school class. He was ranked No. 7 overall recruit by 247sports, while Scout.com ranked him No. 10 in the Class of 2016. On September 10, 2015, Smith committed to NC State University, picking NC State over Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Kentucky to play college basketball.

College career

In December 2015, Smith decided to graduate early from Trinity Christian School and in January 2016 he enrolled at North Carolina State University. He decided to take the opportunity to get an early start on his first year by attending classes and rehabbing from his injury with the NC State medical staff before the start of the 2016–17 season. Smith began his freshman season playing in two exhibition games against Lynn University and Barton College. In his debut for the Wolfpack, Smith played 36 minutes and dished out five assists in an 81–79 victory against Georgia Southern. On November 21, 2016, Smith recorded a then career-high 24 points to go along with 8 assists, defeating Saint Joseph's University, 73–63, in the Paradise Jam tournament. On November 26, 2016, he scored a season-high 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and tallied 7 assists to help NC State defeat Loyola University Chicago. On December 15, 2016, Smith recorded 22 points and 6 assists, leading NC State in a win over Appalachian State. On December 19, 2016, Smith earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors.

On January 4, 2017, Smith recorded a triple-double – 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists – in a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies, making him and Julius Hodge the only two NC State players to achieve this feat. On January 23, 2017, Smith scored a new career-high with 32 points and 6 assists in an 84–82 victory against the Duke Blue Devils, leading NC State to its first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995. Smith recorded his second triple-double – 13 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds – of the season on February 1 in a losing effort to Syracuse. He is the only player in ACC history to have recorded two triple-doubles against league opponents. On February 7, 2017, Smith earned his second ACC rookie of the week honor On February 21, 2017, Smith scored 18 points in a 71–69 win against Georgia Tech. On March 5, 2017, Smith was named ACC Rookie of the Year. Smith was additionally named to both Second team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman teams. In 32 games for NC State in 2016–17, Smith averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

After his freshman season, Smith announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft.

Professional career

Dallas Mavericks (2017–2019)

Smith was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. On July 5, 2017, he signed his rookie contract. While Smith would be out of action during the 2017 NBA Summer League in Orlando, he would return to action just in time for the event in Las Vegas. During the six games he played with the Mavericks out in Las Vegas, Smith recorded 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in under 25.9 minutes of action, which earned him All-Summer League first-team honors.

On October 18, 2017, Smith made his debut in the Mavericks' season opener, a 117–111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 16 points and had 10 assists. On December 29, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and 8 of 12 overall. At 20 years, 34 days, Smith became the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double, behind Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, Luka Dončić and LeBron James. On May 22, 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

New York Knicks (2019–2021)

On January 31, 2019, Smith was traded to the New York Knicks along with DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two future first-round draft picks in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee. On April 9, Smith recorded 25 points and 5 assists in a 96–86 win against the Chicago Bulls.

On February 1, 2021, Smith was assigned to the Westchester Knicks, the affiliate of New York in the NBA G League.

Detroit Pistons (2021)

On February 8, 2021, Smith was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Derrick Rose.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)

On September 23, 2021, Smith signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 16, 2022, he was diagnosed with a high-grade partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, and was subsequently ruled out for three-to-four weeks. On February 21, he was waived.

Charlotte Hornets (2022–present)

On September 23, 2022, Smith signed with his hometown team, the Charlotte Hornets.

On October 19, 2022, in his Hornets debut, Smith recorded 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, on 5-7 shooting, including 2-2 from three, all while playing 21 minutes off the bench on a 129-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On October 23, 2022, Smith scored 18 points and 6 assist in a 126-109 victory against the Atlanta Hawks.

Personal life

On June 21, 2017, Smith signed a three-year endorsement deal with Under Armour.

Smith is friends with fellow Fayetteville native rapper and songwriter J. Cole.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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, 69 , , 69 , , 29.7 , , .395 , , .313 , , .694 , , 3.8 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 15.2
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, 32 , , 32 , , 28.4 , , .440 , , .344 , , .695 , , 3.0 , , 4.3, , 1.3 , , .3 , , 12.9
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