Report: Dennis Smith Jr. Eyes NBA Return After Leaving Real Madrid Contract

NBA teams will have the opportunity to add some veteran backcourt depth in Dennis Smith Jr. with the guard reportedly eyeing a return to the league.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Tuesday that Smith is leaving Real Madrid with the hopes of landing a new contract in the Association this season.

There was a time when the NC State product would have drawn plenty of interest.

The No. 9 overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft was an All-Rookie Second Team selection for the Dallas Mavericks and seemed to have a bright future when he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in his first season.

Yet that marked the only time in his career he averaged better than 15 points per game.

Smith bounced around to the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets through the 2023-24 campaign and struggled to replicate his initial impact when he entered the league.

He last played for Brooklyn during the 2023-24 campaign and averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 assists a night in 56 games and two starts. It marked his fifth straight season averaging single-digit scoring numbers, which was a somewhat surprising downturn given how promising he looked at the start of his career.

Shooting efficiency was a concern, as he shot just 29.8 percent from deep in his seven seasons.

It would be unrealistic for any team to expect Smith to look like the version of himself that started in the NBA at this point of his career.

However, he could still provide veteran backcourt depth for a team that needs it ahead of the stretch run and perhaps find some success with a bench role.