The New York Knicks are taking another chance on a familiar face. Dennis Smith Jr., who’s been grinding to get back into the league, has been working out with the team—almost five years since he last suited up in orange and blue, according to sources who spoke with The Post.
Overseas Stint Cut Short by Injury
Smith, now 27, spent last season overseas with Real Madrid in Spain’s top league. That European chapter ended prematurely when an injury knocked him out of action, keeping him away from competitive basketball for much of the year. The former lottery pick—selected in 2017—had already logged seven NBA seasons before making the move across the pond, including three years wearing a Knicks uniform.
Training Camp Numbers Game
Smith isn’t the only player getting a look. The Knicks are also bringing in frontcourt options like Alex Len and Trey Jemison III for workouts. With NBA rules allowing teams to carry 21 players through training camp, New York has some flexibility—they currently have just 12 guaranteed contracts on the books.
The math gets trickier when it comes to the regular season roster. The Knicks’ salary cap situation leaves room for only one more veteran addition. Still, they’re planning to bring in at least three experienced players on non-guaranteed deals: Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews. League sources suggest the team might engineer a trade to create additional cap flexibility, which could allow them to keep two of these veterans around.
When Things Went Sideways in New York
Smith’s previous run with the Knicks never quite clicked. He arrived as part of the 2019 blockbuster that shipped Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas—a deal where Smith was seen as a key piece with real upside after showing flashes of brilliance with the Mavericks. But everything started unraveling pretty quickly.
A back injury derailed his momentum, and personal tragedy struck when his stepmother passed away. The situation got worse after a particularly harsh reaction from fans at Madison Square Garden, which clearly affected his confidence and overall development. By 2020, coach Tom Thibodeau had squeezed him out of the rotation entirely. Smith eventually asked for a G-League assignment before getting traded to Detroit in the deal that brought Derrick Rose back to New York.
Looking back on that turbulent period, Smith opened up to reporters after landing with Charlotte: “A lot of that stuff was beyond my control. Fans’ reactions. Stepmom passed. Slipped disc in my back. Just random things I couldn’t control. The only thing that matters is how I react—bounce back, take the punches, and keep rolling.” He’s said those tough experiences helped mold him into the player he’s become.
From Athletic Freak to Defensive Ace
The Dennis Smith Jr. working out with the Knicks today looks different from the explosive athlete who entered the league. He’s reinvented himself as a defensive specialist, carving out roles with the Hornets and later the Brooklyn Nets by focusing on that end of the floor. Now he’s back where his NBA journey took a difficult turn, hoping to prove he’s ready for another shot with the team he once called home.
