Brandon Dill/Associated Press
The Dallas Mavericks aren’t resigned to the notion they must trade point guard Dennis Smith Jr. ahead of the Feb. 7 deadline.
According to ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavs “are optimistic” they can bring Smith back into the fold and would only deal the 21-year-old if they “get good value in return.”
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Smith has met with Mavericks officials, with the two sides having “positive communication.” Charania also reported Smith hasn’t formally requested a trade from Dallas.
Smith has missed the Mavericks’ last four games. Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters Tuesday that Smith was battling a stomach bug and wouldn’t be practicing.
Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Rick Carlisle expected to speak with Dennis Smith Jr. about trade rumors today, but the point guard missed practice with a stomach bug. https://t.co/Kw2aiZp7Se
Carlisle’s announcement came after MacMahon and colleague Adrian Wojnarowski reported Dallas was “escalating talks” centered on a Smith trade, with the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic showing some interest.
The arrival of Luka Doncic has diminished Smith’s role as the team’s primary playmaker. His assist average has fallen from 5.2 per game as a rookie in 2017-18 to 3.9, and his usage rate has slipped from 28.9 percent to 22.8 percent, per Basketball Reference.
According to MacMahon and Wojnarowski, Smith and Carlisle “have struggled to find a common ground” as well.
MacMahon followed up Thursday to cite Smith’s “poor decision-making and his tendency to over-dribble” as the sources of Carlisle’s frustration but added Carlisle is still open to working with Smith going forward.
Smith is averaging 12.6 points and shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. The long-term concerns about whether he and Doncic can operate on the floor together are genuine, but the Mavericks would be silly to trade Smith for pennies on the dollar.
If they can find an offer too good to turn down, then moving him before the offseason makes sense. Dallas might be better off waiting until the summer, though, when more teams would theoretically be in the market for a point guard.
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