The Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin Herd have something the Dallas Mavericks desperately want: Dennis Smith Jr. After waiving Smith, the Mavericks intend to keep Smith with their G League team, the Texas Legends, but they need to acquire his rights from the Herd first. Per insider Marc Stein, the two sides are in talks about getting a deal done.
Teams likely to strike a G League deal centered around Smith soon
A deal for Smith will likely go down fairly soon. It's clear that he wants to be with the Mavericks, so the Bucks and Herd should take whatever they can get. To be clear, this transaction will almost certainly have no direct impact on the Bucks themselves. They won't get a player ready to contribute in the big leagues. Instead, they will likely acquire players and picks for the Herd.
What should further Wisconsin's desire to move on from Smith is how its current point guard rotation is looking. Undrafted two-way rookie Mark Sears, who has been showing flashes in the preseason, is the biggest name. Kira Lewis Jr., the 13th overall pick from five years ago, is also in the fold. While it is unclear if he will join the team, the Herd also acquired the rights to franchise staple Lindell Wigginton.
It's a nice-looking guard rotation. While having another one like Smith wouldn't hurt, especially due to his experience, neither would the thought of getting more assets.
This might be the first time some people are learning that Smith's G League rights are in Wisconsin. There is no shame in that, considering he never played for the squad. Last season, the Herd landed his rights and hoped to bring him in, but Smith went overseas instead. He would have been a quality reclamation project, but the guard envisioned his path to the NBA starting elsewhere.
Smith, the ninth overall pick in 2017, has had an up-and-down career. After showing glimpses of his potential in Dallas right out of the gate, he bounced around and was never able to rekindle that same magic. Now, the Mavericks are hoping they can reawaken his best days after bringing him aboard for another go-round in Texas.
With the NBA's regular season set to open within the next few days, it won't be surprising if the two sides strike a deal at any given moment.
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