Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is “still sick” and will not be playing against the San Antonio Spurs. Ironically enough, the Mavs guard mentioned this afternoon via Twitter that he had gone out to lunch with a fan.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle says Dennis Smith Jr. is "still sick" and not available tonight. Smith tweeted this afternoon about meeting a fan while out for lunch. Carlisle declined to say whether he had talked to Smith.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 16, 2019
There have been rumors circulating around the league that Dennis Smith Jr. will be traded elsewhere sometime soon. He's not a fit with their rookie, Luka Doncic, as he needs the ball to be successful and isn't much of an off-ball scorer. He has an okay shot from deep, but he's not used to playing without the ball in his hands.
This has caused a bit of turmoil in the Mavs' offense. Even though Smith Jr. had successful games, most of the time he's a defensive hindrance and isn't providing a positive impact on the team as a whole.
Rick Carlisle not wanting to play him is a surefire sign that the front office wants him gone. It's not surprising, but it's happening very quickly. The Mavs could move on from Smith Jr. sooner rather than later.
The team will likely send the second-year guard to a rebuilding team without strong depth or potential in their point guard position. The Phoenix Suns could use him as a combo-guard next to Devin Booker. The Orlando Magic haven't had a serviceable point guard in years. The Chicago Bulls or even the New York Knicks might even be in the mix, especially if they don't believe in the future of defensive stalwarts in Frank Ntikina and Kris Dunn.
The Mavs are now 20-23 and sit in the 13th seed of the NBA's Western Conference. They will face off next against the Spurs at home.
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