After a week away from the team, Dennis Smith Jr. returned to the Mavericks on Tuesday, scoring 17 points in Dallas' 106-98 win over the Clippers. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle has been extremely supportive of Smith, even when the 21-year-old point guard was out with mysterious injuries and illnesses, but it doesn't seem like this relationship will last much longer.
A league source told Sporting News' Sean Deveney last week that a Smith trade "is a matter of when, not if." The Mavericks are looking to build around Luka Doncic, who has performed significantly better with Smith on the bench, so Smith has quickly gone from a rebuilding piece to a trade asset.
MORE: Can Doncic change Mavs' fortunes in free agency?
Despite Smith's struggles early in his career and his battles with Carlisle, there should still be plenty of interest as the Feb. 7 trade deadline approaches. The problem is finding a deal that makes sense.
From The Athletic's Shams Charania:
Smith and the Mavericks had been working to accommodate a trade for him, but receiving equal value for a talented, former No. 9 overall pick just one year into his four-year rookie-scale contract is nearly impossible. The Mavericks discussed Smith deals with several teams, including Orlando, New York and the L.A. Lakers, league sources said.
Both sides needed to reunite, however, and Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle apologized to Smith on a phone conversation on Sunday and expressed remorse over the situation, sources said. Fences needed to be mended, and Smith returned to the Mavericks for Tuesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers and the sides will see how the new reuniting period goes.
The Magic could take a chance on Smith. His timeline matches up with their other building blocks, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba. The Knicks are in a similar position. Frank Ntilikina hasn't played consistent minutes throughout the season as part of David Fizdale's rotation, so perhaps New York has changed its view of the former lottery pick.
And that third team? The Lakers are a curious landing spot considering they have Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo on the roster, and LeBron James does the bulk of the ballhandling when he's on the floor. It's possible these discussions only reached the exploratory phase, so don't read too much into it just yet.
Deveney notes teams are reluctant to commit fully to Smith when there will be opportunities to pursue other guards in free agency over the summer. Smith's name will continue to float around the rumor mill, but there's a chance he stays in Dallas through the season.
