The New York Knicks are considering a potential reunion with a former point guard who was once a top draft pick.
Per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, New York will work out Dennis Smith Jr., who had logged parts of three seasons with the Knicks from 2019-21, after struggling to stick with the team that drafted him.
The Knicks are bringing in a familiar point guard.
Dennis Smith Jr. is working out for the Knicks this week, league sources told the Post.
The former lottery pick hopes for an NBA return after playing last season at Real Madrid.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) September 14, 2025
The Dallas Mavericks selected the 6-foot-3 North Carolina product with the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Smith was selected ahead of future multi-time All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Jarrett Allen.
A New York Reclamation Project
Smith was flipped from Dallas to New York halfway through his second pro season, and was featured significantly. He had been effectively rendered redundant by the arrival of eventual Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic.
In his 21 contests for New York that season (18 starts), Smith averaged 14.7 points on .413/.289/.568 shooting splits, 5.4 dimes, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals a night.
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Smith saw his role greatly reduced in 2019-20, and he was pretty much glued to the bench by Tom Thibodeau during the coach’s first season in New York, 2020-21. Smith, a defensive liability with a spotty jumper, only saw action in three games before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in February.
He then became a true journeyman, playing a backup role for the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets during his final three NBA seasons (to this point).
Across 326 career regular season games (he never suited up in a single playoff contest), Smith averaged 9.7 points on a .407/.298/.674 slash line, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per.
Smith joined the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, in December 2024, but after failing to crack the team’s rotation he joined EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid. He left the club a month later.
Now 27, Smith is looking for his next pro hoops opportunity. Could it be with New York? The Knicks have three open standard roster spots, technically, although often teams don’t like to fill all 15, so they can enjoy further team-building flexibility down the line. Landry Shamet, Garrison Mathews, Malcolm Brogdon and Dink Pate are all signed to training camp deals. Perhaps Smith could get into the mix, but Shamet and Brogdon especially seem to have an edge.
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