As the friction between the Dallas Mavericks and their point guard Dennis Smith Jr. continues on, the two sides could surprisingly be reunited shortly.
The Mavs have made it no secret that they’re shopping the disgruntled Smith Jr. who has now been inactive for three straight games and won’t be joining Dallas ahead of their upcoming road trip. However, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Mavs now hope to reconcile with Smith Jr. after testing the trade market for him and not finding an ideal package in return.
The Dallas Mavericks are optimistic that they can reconcile and move forward with point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and are insistent they won’t trade their 2017 lottery pick unless they get good value in return, sources told ESPN.
The Mavs have shopped Smith, 21, throughout the season but haven’t received any offers that have tempted them to pull the trigger on trading a player whom the Dallas front office still believes has potential to develop into a star, sources said.
“Plan A is still to fix this,” a team source told ESPN.
An immensely talented young player still only scratching the surface of his true potential, it makes sense for Dallas to want to keep Dennis Smith Jr. despite their differences in the past. While the Mavs now clearly roster their centerpiece of the future in standout rookie Luka Doncic, Smith Jr. could work as an ideal backcourt partner, though his numbers had slipped across the board early on in the season.
It’s still apparent that Dallas was shopping Smith Jr. but without a hefty package offered in return, it’s clear their best move would be hoping to mend their relationship. As reported, the Mavericks expect the NC State product to develop into a star, an idea that is still certainly plausible.
Smith Jr. enjoyed a solid rookie season in Dallas, averaging 15.2 points and over 5 assists a game. This year, those numbers have dipped to the tune of only 12.6 points per game to go along with 2.9 assists in 28 outings. While the Mavs claim that they now hope to retain Smith Jr., he is certainly still a name worth monitoring as the trade deadline approaches.
