Dennis Smith Jr.’s first time in New York was not positive. He was traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the New York Knicks in the 2019 deadline deal that famously sent an unhappy Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavs. Smith had wanted to be in Dallas forever, but circumstances intervened and now he was in New York, an afterthought.
It was a bizarre time for him. The No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, taken ahead of Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Jarrett Allen, he had had a solid season in his rookie year but fell out of favor with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle as Dallas reset with Luka Doncic.