Dallas Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is slated to start at his usual spot after reports of his decision to rejoin his teammates after a short hiatus went public, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. A bench role was never discussed between he and coach Rick Carlisle before the 21-year-old took his mysterious sabbatical.

The Mavs and Smith have collectively concluded that playing out the rest of the season is the best approach to take after Dallas reportedly took calls inquiring for Smith, with teams like the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns fielding interest in the young second-year guard.

Smith's value took a clear decline once the Mavs were known to be in sell-mode, something that usually puts NBA teams in a position of disadvantage in negotiating terms with inquiring teams.

The North Carolina State product was rumored to be upset with the way the franchise has handled his opportunities on the floor in the midst of Luka Doncic's notorious rookie season while Dallas was worried the two couldn't coexist in the same offense.

By playing Smith the rest of the season, the player can boost his value while giving the team time and patience to probe potential offers until the right package is figured out. Adversely, the Mavs could incorporate Smith into a successful partnership with Doncic throughout the rest of the 2018-19 campaign, but the latter seems unlikely from the way Carlisle has chose to run possessions down the stretch, with Doncic dominating the ball in the clutch.