Not even a decade ago, Dennis Smith Jr. became the highest-drafted NC State basketball talent in a quarter century when he came off the board No. 9 overall at the 2017 NBA Draft.
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After a ferocious start to his professional career, injuries began to derail the former Wolfpack one-and-done’s production. He then bounced around from team to team in hopes of delivering on his potential again.
Smith spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets. This past season, though, he ended up in Spain, marking his first full year out of the NBA since turning pro early following his freshman show as an NC State basketball player.
Despite the discouraging stretch in what should be Smith’s prime as an athlete, the 27-year-old still has eyes on a return to the league.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reported that Smith is among several on hand for the Philadelphia 76ers’ two-day veteran minicamp this week.
That list of NBA contract hopefuls in Philadelphia includes a couple of Wolfpack rival names in recent UNC basketball players Armando Bacot and Leaky Black.
Across his seven NBA seasons to date, Dennis Smith Jr. has suited up for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, and Nets. He’s averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals over 326 career regular season games.
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