Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. to return to team today

The holdout between the Dallas Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. has ended in unspectacular fashion as the two parties agreed to fix the situation. What comes next?

First, it was a back injury. Then, it was an illness. Then, it was a phantom back injury and a fake illness. And now, finally, it appears that the illness might have been real? Either way, the Dallas Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. are back on the same page and DSJ has decided to return to the team prior to their matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.

This was originally reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

The return of DSJ bodes well for the Mavs who need something to be excited about. Even though that hasn’t exactly been the most exciting prospect from his time with the team earlier in the season, change is exactly what this team needs.

The relationship between Rick Carlisle and Dennis Smith is probably still a little rocky, but it does sound like things are getting better. The fact that the two actually talked on the phone with no agents in the way is a good sign, and Carlisle apologizing was, I believe, the right move. Now, we wait to see if the relationship is really going to get fixed or if this is a plan to fix DSJ’s trade value.

I think the Mavs need to hold onto him for at least the rest of this season. Dennis may not be the perfect fit next to Luka Doncic and he may be a little bit too proud based on his idea to hold the Mavs hostage for trade talks, but I am not sold on the narrative that these two players can’t coexist on the court.

My bigger issue is that Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews still have a serious number of plays drawn up for them to get the ball. Why? Matthews is well beyond his prime and Barnes is in the midst of one of the worst shooting slumps of his career.

Yet, we continue to run the offense through these guys instead of one of the best players in the league and an excellent clutch performer for the team last year with incredible potential. Doesn’t make too much sense to me.

The Mavs are eager to put this whole Dennis Smith fiasco behind them and today will be the day where that process begins. It is too bad that everything went down this way, but hopefully everyone has grown a little bit and learned from it all. Either way, we are excited to see DSJ back in uniform once again.