Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the Charlotte Hornets of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year. Smith was selected ninth overall in the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the Dallas Mavericks. Smith spent two seasons in Dallas before being traded to the New York Knicks in January 2019. He was traded to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

in February 2021 and later joined the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

as a free agent in September of the same year.

High school career

Smith attended Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. During his first year at Trinity Christian in 2013, Smith came off the bench on the varsity basketball team, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.0 assist per game. On December 28, 2013, Smith scored 41 points in a 82–73 win over HCYA and future NBA player Justin Jackson. As a sophomore, Smith and Trinity Christian defeated Greenfield by one point to win the 2014 NCISAA 1-A State Championship, while Smith scored 21 points and was named MVP. During the season, Smith averaged, 17.6 points per game and 9.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. After the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 19, 2014, at

John Paul Jones Arena John Paul Jones Arena, or JPJ, is a multi-purpose arena owned by the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since November 2006, it serves as the home to the Virginia Cavaliers men's and women's basketball teams, as well as for con ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Smith also competed in the 2014 Adidas Nations. In his junior year, Smith and Trinity Christian played in the 2014–2015 High School OT Holiday Invitational Tournament at Needham B. Broughton High School in

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

. On December 26, 2014, Smith scored 23 points to help Trinity defeat Ravenscroft School (83–60). On December 29, 2014, Smith went head to head with an Orangeville Prep that featured future NBA players Jamal Murray and

Thon Maker Thon Marial Maker (born 25 February 1997) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He attended high school at Orangeville District Secondary School and pl ...

. Smith scored 38 points in a losing effort as Trinity Christian lost (79–75) in the semi-finals. On January 15, 2015, Smith scored 25 points in a 65–54 victory over

Dudley High School Dudley Hign School is a coeducational high school on Toorak Hill, Suva, Fiji that is run by the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. It is named after missionary sister, Hannah Dudley who dedicated her life to taking care of Indian women and orp ...

. On February 2, 2015, Smith scored 17 points to defeat Cape Fear Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinals. On February 11, 2015, in the last game of the season, Smith scored 33 points in a (90–58) loss to Word of God Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A Semi-finals. On the season, Smith averaged 22.2 points per game, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 3 steals, while leading the Crusaders to a (23–10) overall record. In 2015, he was named the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for North Carolina. Smith received surgery weeks later after the injury. Before the injury, in the summer of 2015, Smith competed on the Adidas Uprising Circuit for the AAU team, Team Loaded North Carolina (NC), alongside future NBA player Bam Adebayo. He led his team to victory in the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Championship. Smith averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 11 games on the circuit. On July 27, 2015, in a televised game on ESPNU, Smith recorded 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assist in a 78–77 win over

Kyle Guy Kyle Joseph Guy (born August 11, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Joventut Badalona of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers as a shooting guard for three years and was named the NCAA To ...

and Indiana Elite. On August 10, 2015, while competing in an Adidas Nations event, Smith tore his ACL, but did not feel any serious pain or swelling in his knee. During surgery, Smith's doctors found that he had an extra ACL. He was originally ruled out for his entire senior season of high school but in between 2 weeks and 2 months, he claimed that he had become more explosive, with his vertical increasing by 8 inches. Smith was rated a five-star recruit and was considered one of the best players and point guards in the 2016 high school class. He was ranked No. 7 overall recruit by 247sports, while

Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...

ranked him No. 10 in the Class of 2016. On September 10, 2015, Smith committed to

NC State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

, picking NC State over

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

, Wake Forest,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

and

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

to play college basketball.

College career

In December 2015, Smith decided to graduate early from Trinity Christian School and in January 2016 he enrolled at North Carolina State University. He decided to take the opportunity to get an early start on his first year by attending classes and rehabbing from his injury with the NC State medical staff before the start of the 2016–17 season. Smith began his freshman season playing in two exhibition games against

Lynn University Lynn University is a private university in Boca Raton, Florida. Founded in 1962, the university awards associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. It is named for the Lynn family (Christine E. and Eugene M. Lynn). It has a total ...

and

Barton College Barton College is a private college in Wilson, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and enrolls about 1,200 students on campus. History Barton College was incorporated as Atlantic Christian College ...

. In his debut for the Wolfpack, Smith played 36 minutes and dished out five assists in an 81–79 victory against Georgia Southern. On November 21, 2016, Smith recorded a then career-high 24 points to go along with 8 assists, defeating Saint Joseph's University, 73–63, in the

Paradise Jam tournament The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is a NCAA college basketball tournament that takes place annually in late November. The men's tournament typically takes place the week before Thanksgiving, with the women's tournament occurring during Thanksgi ...

. On November 26, 2016, he scored a season-high 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and tallied 7 assists to help NC State defeat Loyola University Chicago. On December 15, 2016, Smith recorded 22 points and 6 assists, leading NC State in a win over Appalachian State. On December 19, 2016, Smith earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors. On January 4, 2017, Smith recorded a triple-double – 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists – in a win against the

Virginia Tech Hokies The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 v ...

, making him and

Julius Hodge Julius Melvin Hodge (born November 18, 1983) is an American-Antiguan former professional basketball player and current assistant coach at Little Rock Trojans. Originally from Harlem, New York, Hodge played college basketball at NC State and was se ...

the only two NC State players to achieve this feat. On January 23, 2017, Smith scored a new career-high with 32 points and 6 assists in an 84–82 victory against the

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...

, leading NC State to its first win at

Cameron Indoor Stadium Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The 9,314-seat facility is the primary indoor athletic venue for the Duke Blue Devils and serves as the home court for Duke men's and ...

since 1995. Smith recorded his second triple-double – 13 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds – of the season on February 1 in a losing effort to Syracuse. He is the only player in ACC history to have recorded two triple-doubles against league opponents. On February 7, 2017, Smith earned his second ACC rookie of the week honor On February 21, 2017, Smith scored 18 points in a 71–69 win against

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. On March 5, 2017, Smith was named ACC Rookie of the Year. Smith was additionally named to both Second team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman teams. In 32 games for NC State in 2016–17, Smith averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. After his freshman season, Smith announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the

Professional career

Dallas Mavericks (2017–2019)

Smith was selected with the ninth overall pick in the

by the Dallas Mavericks. On July 5, 2017, he signed his rookie contract. While Smith would be out of action during the

2017 NBA Summer League The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Eight teams participated in the wee ...

in Orlando, he would return to action just in time for the event in Las Vegas. During the six games he played with the Mavericks out in Las Vegas, Smith recorded 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in under 25.9 minutes of action, which earned him All-Summer League first-team honors. On October 18, 2017, Smith made his debut in the Mavericks' season opener, a 117–111 loss to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, where he scored 16 points and had 10 assists. On December 29, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and 8 of 12 overall. At 20 years, 34 days, Smith became the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double, behind

Lonzo Ball Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earn ...

Markelle Fultz Markelle N'Gai Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before being selected by the Phila ...

Luka Dončić Luka Dončić ( ; ; born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Slovenian national team. Born in Ljubljana, Dončić shone ...

and

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...

. On May 22, 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

New York Knicks (2019–2021)

On January 31, 2019, Smith was traded to the New York Knicks along with

DeAndre Jordan Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies. Jordan was se ...

Wesley Matthews Wesley Joel Matthews Jr. (born October 14, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles. He is the son of ...

and two future first-round draft picks in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and

Courtney Lee Courtney Lee (born October 3, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University. Lee was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and wa ...

. On April 9, Smith recorded 25 points and 5 assists in a 96–86 win against the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. On February 1, 2021, Smith was assigned to the

Westchester Knicks The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks typically play their home games at Westchester County Center in Whit ...

, the affiliate of New York in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

Detroit Pistons (2021)

On February 8, 2021, Smith was traded to the

in exchange for Derrick Rose.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)

On September 23, 2021, Smith signed with the

. On February 16, 2022, he was diagnosed with a high-grade partial tear of the

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

(UCL) in his right elbow, and was subsequently ruled out for three-to-four weeks. On February 21, he was waived.

Charlotte Hornets (2022–present)

On September 23, 2022, Smith signed with his hometown team, the Charlotte Hornets. On October 19, 2022, in his Hornets debut, Smith recorded 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, on 5-7 shooting, including 2-2 from three, all while playing 21 minutes off the bench on a 129-102 win over the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. On October 23, 2022, Smith scored 18 points and 6 assist in a 126-109 victory against the

Personal life

On June 21, 2017, Smith signed a three-year endorsement deal with

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...

. Smith is friends with fellow Fayetteville native rapper and songwriter J. Cole.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 69 , , 69 , , 29.7 , , .395 , , .313 , , .694 , , 3.8 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2";, , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 32 , , 28.4 , , .440 , , .344 , , .695 , , 3.0 , , 4.3, , 1.3 , , .3 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", New York , 21 , , 18 , , 28.6 , , .413 , , .289 , , .568 , , 2.8 , , 5.4 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 34 , , 3 , , 15.8 , , .341 , , .296 , , .509 , , 2.3 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , .2 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2";, , style="text-align:left;", New York , 3 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .200 , , .000 , , .833 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, 20 , , 9 , , 19.6 , , .415 , , .352 , , .700 , , 2.7 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 37 , , 4 , , 17.2 , , .418 , , .222 , , .656 , , 2.4 , , 3.6 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 5.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 216 , , 135 , , 23.9 , , .402 , , .312 , , .652 , , 2.9 , , 4.2 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 10.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

, 32 , , 32 , , 34.8 , , .455 , , .359 , , .715 , , 4.6 , , 6.2 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , 18.1

References

External links

NC State Wolfpack bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Dennis Jr. 1997 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from North Carolina Charlotte Hornets players Dallas Mavericks draft picks Dallas Mavericks players Detroit Pistons players NC State Wolfpack men's basketball players New York Knicks players Point guards Portland Trail Blazers players Sportspeople from Fayetteville, North Carolina