NBA Rumors: Luka Doncic’s Rise Makes Mavericks’ Dennis Smith Jr. Trade Bait
Dennis Smith Jr. might be a victim of his teammate’s success. ]
The Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns are in talks with the Dallas Mavericks over a potential trade involving the point guard, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday night, citing NBA sources.
The Dallas Mavericks are escalating discussions to find a trade for point guard Dennis Smith Jr., league sources tell ESPN. Phoenix and Orlando have engaged in ongoing talks with Mavs. Smith Jr., has sat out three straight games with what team has termed a sore back.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 15, 2019
Smith, 21, is an attractive option for teams seeking to bolster their backcourts due to his proven ability and potential upside. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After enjoying a stellar rookie season, Smith has lost some ball-handling duties and prominence in 2018-19 due to teamme Luka Doncic’s impressive debut campaign. Smith is averaging 12.6 points and 3.9 assists per game (down from 15.2 and 5.2 last season).
Rookies Elie Okobo and De’Anthony Melton are the nominal point guards on the Suns roster, but shooting guards Devin Booker and Josh Jackson have been the primary playmakers in Phoenix this season.
D.J. Augustin has been Orlando’s starting point guard all season, and the team apparently is looking to upgrade its options at the position.
The NBA trade deadline is at noon ET on Feb. 7.
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