The five-year veteran point guard returns to his home state of North Carolina.
The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a one-year deal with Dennis Smith Jr., per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management told @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2022
Smith has played for five teams across his five years in the NBA, appearing in 37 games (four starts) during the 2021-22 season with Portland. A native of Fayetteville, Smith was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of North Carolina State and spent the first year-and-a-half of his career with Dallas before being shipping to New York as a part of the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks.
According to The Observer’s Rod Boone, Smith’s one-year deal is non-guaranteed.
#Hornets have signed Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year deal, league sources confirm to @theobserver. The contract is non-guaranteed, per sources. Low risk signing bringing the Fayetteville native and N.C. State product on board. Roster is now at 19. Training camp begins on Tuesday.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) September 21, 2022
As Boone mentioned in his tweet, this is a low-risk move that allows Charlotte’s front office to see what’s left in the tank for Smith. With just under a week until training camp starts, the Hornets have now signed five players to non-guaranteed contracts to bring the roster up to 19, leaving two guaranteed slots and one Two-Way slot open.
Dennis Smith Jr. signing a one year deal with the HORNETS
(per @ShamsCharania, via j_cov910/IG)pic.twitter.com/nplW92ldOf
— Overtime (@overtime) September 21, 2022
Unless one of the Exhibit 10 players is waived prior to camp opening, there will be a maximum of one more player signed to the Hornets roster during the preseason. Personally, this signing makes sense to me — Smith is more likely to be able to handle the defensive assignments given to him by head coach Steve Clifford than the older, less athletic guards on the market and it’s always nice to give a shot to a Carolina native. What are your thoughts?