Knicks Rumors: Dennis Smith Jr. Requests to Play in G League Bubble

Guard Dennis Smith Jr. has reportedly asked the New York Knicks for permission to play inside the G League bubble.

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Smith wanted the opportunity to get some reps to prove he can still contribute at a high level in the NBA. The Knicks are expected to grant his request. 

Smith has been unable to crack Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation and has appeared in only three games this season.

The 2021 G League campaign is scheduled to start Feb. 10 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in the Orlando, Florida, area, which was the location of the NBA bubble at the end of the 2019-20 season.

G League play will last only one month, with the top eight teams beginning a single-elimination playoff March 8 and a champion being crowned March 11.

In those three games, Smith averaged 3.0 points, 1.0 assist and 1.0 steal in 9.3 minutes per contest.

Smith was the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA draft after a standout collegiate career at NC State. His NBA career got off to a promising start, as he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game as a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks.

He was named to the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, but things got worse from there.

During the 2018-19 season, Smith was traded from Dallas to New York as part of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavs.

Smith still averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game that season, but his production dipped significantly last season to 5.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 34 games.

While Smith has regressed in a big way since his rookie campaign, he is still just 23 years old, and there is hope he can turn things around if he lands in the right situation.

He is set to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, and it seems likely the Knicks will let him walk if they don't trade him before that.

If Smith is given permission to play in the G League and dominates against a lower level of competition, it could go a long way toward another NBA team giving him a chance next season.