Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is reuniting with the Dallas Mavericks for training camp after spending last season with Real Madrid in the EuroLeague and previously playing for five different NBA franchises. The deal was first reported by ESPN.

Smith reunites with the franchise that drafted him No. 9 overall in 2017. He averaged 15.2 points as a rookie and was named to the All-Rookie Team before being dealt to the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porziņģis trade in January 2019.

The Mavericks currently have a full roster of 15 standard contracts, though guard Brandon Williams holds only a partial guarantee on his deal. That leaves Smith’s standing uncertain heading into camp, with Dallas needing to make a move to keep him on the opening-night roster.

After leaving Dallas, Smith spent two years with the Knicks before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in a deal that returned Derrick Rose to New York. He went on to play for the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets in three consecutive seasons.

His most productive stretch came in Charlotte in 2022-23, when he established himself as one of the league’s top defensive guards while averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists. The following season with Brooklyn, he ranked second in steals per 36 minutes among players logging at least 1,000 minutes.

Smith, 27, most recently played for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague during the 2024-25 campaign. In seven NBA seasons, he has appeared in 326 games, making 152 starts, with career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 assists and 3 rebounds.

For Dallas, the move adds backcourt depth and a familiar face to camp while setting up competition for one of the final roster decisions before the season begins.