Another member of the 2020-21 Detroit Pistons has found a new home this offseason. 23-year-old point guard Dennis Smith Jr. joins Wayne Ellington as two members of last season’s Pistons squad to join a new franchise this offseason.
ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski reported that Smith Jr. will be joining the Portland Trailblazers for training camp this upcoming season.
Free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr., has signed a deal to attend training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell ESPN. Smith played 23 games between Detroit and New York last season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2021
The 23-year-old is entering his fifth NBA season this year. Despite having such a young career, Smith Jr. has already become somewhat of a journeyman in the NBA.
The Trailblazers will be Smith Jr.’s fourth team in five seasons. He spent time with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and most recently the Detroit Pistons.
Smith Jr.’s tenure with the Pistons was short-lived, but in that time, the 23-year-old showed he has the ability to produce at an NBA level.
The point guard appeared in 20 games, including nine starts, in the Motor City. Smith Jr. joined the Pistons after a midseason trade saw the Knicks trade him and a second-round pick in exchange for Derrick Rose.
In his 20 games with Detroit, Smith Jr. averaged 7.3 points, 3.7 assists, and a 35.2 percent three-point shooting percentage while playing in 19.6 minutes per contest.
While the 23-year-old has shown flashes of talent throughout his career, he has struggled with consistency. Smith Jr. is only receiving a camp invite at this time, but he will hope to turn this into an opportunity to earn a roster spot.
This could be one of, if not the last, opportunities that Smith Jr. receives to stick around in the NBA, the young point guard will have to work to become a more consistent player and carve himself a role with the team early on in training camp if he is to have any hope of clinging on.
While Smith Jr. faces an uphill battle to make the Trailblazers roster, he will have the opportunity to learn from one of the best point guards in Pistons history, Chauncey Billups.
Detroit Pistons: Dennis Smith Jr. has the opportunity to learn from Chauncey Billups
This offseason, the Trailblazers filled their open head coaching position with Pistons legend Chauncey Billups.
Billups, a former All-Star point guard, and 17-year veteran spent last season as the assistant coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. The 44-year-old coach brings his experience as a leader of the 2003-04 Pistons Championship team with him to Portland.
Smith Jr. will have the opportunity to learn from ‘Mr. Big Shot’ as a participant in Portland’s training camp. Like Smith Jr., Billups had stints with multiple teams early on in his career. Billups played for four different teams in the first five seasons of his career. Billups was a 26-year-old by the time he finally caught on with the Pistons.
While Smith Jr. is nowhere near the level that Billups had played at during his NBA career, the pair can relate to each other as players who journeyed through the NBA early in their respective careers.
Billups can impart knowledge of becoming a more consistent playmaker, shooter, and all-around player onto the young 23-year-old. Smith Jr. will also be able to learn about what it takes to be a part of a championship team.
Smith Jr. is far from guaranteed to make the Trailblazers roster. It is an uphill battle for the 23-year-old, but still a battle he has the chance to win. Ultimately, whether he makes Portland’s roster or not, Smith Jr. should make the most of his opportunity to learn from Billups during training camp.