Skip to content

Carlisle: Smith Jr. will rejoin Mavericks for Tuesday's game

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Dennis Smith Jr.'s time away from the Dallas Mavericks is coming to an end.

“I am excited to announce Dennis Smith Jr. will rejoin the team on Tuesday," head coach Rick Carlisle said in a statement, according to The Athletic's Tim Cato. "Dennis and I spoke at length today. He is feeling better and plans to resume workouts in preparation for his return. There will be no further updates until Tuesday."

Smith echoed his coach's sentiment.

“I am thrilled to rejoin my teammates on Tuesday," Smith added through a release from the team. "I am feeling better and had a great workout today. It has been difficult to be away, but I look forward to getting back on the court and helping my team win.”

The Mavericks are set to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Carlisle reportedly went as far as apologizing to Smith for the ordeal in a recent phone call, sources told The Athletics' Shams Charania.

Smith has missed the Mavericks' past five games with what was originally termed as back tightness and later an illness. The legitimacy of those ailments has been a topic of discussion, given ongoing tension between the two sides over Smith's future with the team.

Selected No. 9 overall in 2017, Smith was named to the All-Rookie Second Team on the strength of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Since the addition of teenage Slovenian prodigy Luka Doncic in this year's draft, however, Smith's role as the Mavericks' primary ball-handler has waned, leading to a dip in his per-game production across the board.

Carlisle told the media on Saturday he believed "business stuff" was the cause of the youngster's absence.

Throughout the situation, Smith is said to have indicated to some parties his desire for a fresh start ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline, though he reportedly did not formally request a trade.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox