Mavericks' dream free agency reunion is falling apart fast

Fans have long awaited the return of one of their favorite players. Dennis Smith Jr., who was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks back in 2017, as he signed with Dallas earlier this offseason. Smith Jr. didn't even play a full season with Luka Doncic, as he was traded to the New York Knicks for Kristaps Porzingis. Knicks fans didn't like that at all, as they had the chance to pick Smith Jr. beforehand, but elected to pick Frank Ntilikina instead. Mavs fans' dreams might just come to an end as Smith Jr. is on a roster that is already full of point guards who can produce more than him, and it seems like his time in Dallas will end after training camp ends, since he's on an Exhibit 10 contract.

This isn't to say that Smith Jr. is washed or anything like that, but the Mavs already solved their Kyrie Irving issue to start the season. D'Angelo Russell will hold the fort down until Irving gets back. They also have Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams to look forward to. Hardy has plenty of experience in a Mavs uniform, but his confidence and consistency have been among the concerns holding him back.

Williams had a nice stretch of minutes last season when he was forced to start, and at times, looked like a walking bucket. Smith Jr. making the team looks like a pipe dream, and it won't be surprising for Nico Harrison to have the tough conversation with him at some point that they won't be creating a roster spot to keep him.

Cutting Williams and keeping Smith Jr. is an unlikely move for the Mavs

We know. Smith Jr. was excellent when he first arrived in Dallas. It looked like he would've been a nice, long-term complementary piece next to Doncic, but the identity of the Mavs quickly changed when he was first traded. To put it nicely, times have changed for the better.

Since then, the Mavs have had a spark going with Irving, Hardy, and Williams. The undrafted 25-year-old from Arizona, Williams, has earned his minutes and played the most games in a season yet, last season. Williams, also averaging 8.3 points a game, gave the Mavs reliable minutes mostly off the bench.

Williams even started in three games last year as the Mavs looked like they were going to do the unthinkable by forfeiting games. They had just enough guys to continue on, and Williams was one of the more reliable pieces during that time. The Mavericks would likely have to cut Williams to bring back Smith Jr., and that doesn't look like it will be happening.

The Smith Jr. signing was supposed to be a message for Williams and possibly Hardy that their role isn't necessarily safe, but with Williams' balanced consistency along with Ryan Nembhard's rapid rise, it's looking like the smoke is beginning to clear on Smith Jr.'s future with the team.

It's been nice to see Smith Jr. back in a Mavs uniform, but in the nine minutes he played on Monday night, he didn't come up with a basket, and even Nembhard has been outplaying him, not to mention playing a lot more. Nembhard has also been outplaying Hardy, and it's beginning to look tough for Jason Kidd to leave him out of the rotation.

If Nembhard keeps on doing what he's doing, there's no doubt that he's going to stay on the team beyond this year. He took the NBA Summer League by surprise, and he's growing his game perfectly during the preseason. Williams has also done everything the coaches have asked from him, and there shouldn't be a conversation on his departure either.

Smith Jr.'s time with the Mavs will likely end a lot sooner than anyone expected, and Mavs fans may have to wait until next season to see him on the 15-man roster. He hasn't gotten much playing time to begin this preseason, and the chances of him joining the Maverics always looked like a pipe dream with how deep they are.