It's safe to say Dennis Smith Jr. is happy that the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the New York Knicks before the trade deadline.

After nine games with his new team, Smith opened up about his time in the Big Apple so far and pointed out how welcoming the team has been, particularly head coach David Fizdale.

“[It was] just his general concern for things I have going on, it really shows that he believes in me, believes in my ability,’’ Smith recently said, via The New York Post. “When you have a coach like that, you should go out and put max effort every time you get a chance. If I can get to the level they want me to be [at], I can consistently bring it night in and night out. I think I’m fully capable of that.”

It's interesting to note that Dennis Smith Jr. didn't have a good relationship with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. During his time with Dallas this season, the 21-year-old guard often butt heads with Carlisle. In fact, Carlisle was reportedly frustrated over Smith's decision making and they both struggle to find a common ground.

Smith eventually had a fallout with the Mavs and sat out some games, though he has been dealing with an injury that time. He returned to the team as the franchise looked for a trade partner, leading to his trade to the Knicks.

It seems the trade worked well for DSJ though as he finally found a coach that will believe in him. In the games that he played for the Knicks, Smith is averaging 16.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists.