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NBA Trade Deadline 2019: 10 players who could use a change of scenery

By Ian Levy

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 29: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards sit on the bench during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena on December 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 29: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards sit on the bench during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena on December 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 05: Luka Doncic #77, Dennis Smith Jr. #1, and Wesley Matthews #23 of the Dallas Mavericks walk to the bench after a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Mavericks 106-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 05: Luka Doncic #77, Dennis Smith Jr. #1, and Wesley Matthews #23 of the Dallas Mavericks walk to the bench after a timeout against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on January 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Mavericks 106-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

6. Dennis Smith Jr., G, Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. have reconciled, and he is back on the court, which is best for everyone. Still, the team is apparently listening to offers as they look for a more ideal pairing for Luka Doncic. The truth is, Smith Jr. is not an ideal player to put next to Doncic. He thrives with the ball in his hands, right now he’s not a very good defender or the kind of dangerous outside shooter who creates space by reputation alone. To his credit though, those are the exact things Smith Jr. has worked on this year.

ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus estimates Smith Jr.’s defensive impact to be about minus-0.47 points per 100 possessions. That sound ugly, but it’s an enormous improvement on last year’s mark (minus-2.17), not that far from average and better than several other point guards with strong defensive reputations — Malcolm Brogdon, Dante Exum, Shelvin Mack, etc. Smith Jr. is also shooting 36.4 percent on 3-pointers this season, up from 31.3 percent as a rookie. He might benefit from a change of scenery simply because trust and his relationship with the team have broken down but he’s also a player with immense potential who might not be done in Dallas.

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