The Dallas Mavericks have been plagued with recent rumors regarding second-year point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who has reportedly been on the trade block after proving to be a poor fit next to rookie phenom Luka Doncic. Smith allegedly has had an ongoing rift with head coach Rick Carlisle, one that has been viewed as palpable by those around the organization.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon explained the situation as a guest of The Hoop Collective, noting that Smith's relationship with Carlisle has been awkward for a while now. While the coach could potentially mend fences with his point guard if he isn't traded, Smith might not do the same.
Via Sporting Dallas Forth Worth:
“DSJ last year put up okay numbers, not efficient, but the numbers were inflated by garbage time. And that, honestly, just killed Rick… it felt like all it's doing is reinforcing terrible habits,” said MacMahon. “It's been awkward between those two for a good year now, at least.”
“There might be a situation where DSJ and Carlisle have to shake hands and move on, at least for the rest of the season… I do believe that Rick would be willing to do that. I don't know, at this point, and honestly the communication from his camp has been nonexistent.”
For now, the Mavs are reportedly going to try to reconcile with Smith and keep him this season. However, the friction between Carlisle and Smith could prove to be untenable, so don't rule out a trade before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
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