Mavericks fan-favorite's hyped Dallas return was doomed from the start

When the Dallas Mavericks signed former fan-favorite guard Dennis Smith Jr., every fan knew it would be an uphill battle for him to fight for one of Dallas' roster spots. Not only did the Mavericks have every spot filled on their 15-man roster, but Brandon Williams would have been the only realistic candidate to be on the chopping block, and due to the Mavericks' need for shooters, Williams was never truly going to be waived.

For Smith Jr., this was his first shot at competing for a roster spot in the NBA in over an entire season after his last stint with the Brooklyn Nets. One of the reasons Smith Jr. slowly fizzled out of the league was due to his lack of shooting and inability to expand his offensive bag beyond his impressive slashing capabilities.

There's no doubt that from the jump, it was clear that Smith Jr. was going to be waived before the season began, but the Mavericks just ensured every fan's worst thoughts after cutting him only a few days before the regular season could tip off. As unfortunate as it may seem, the Mavericks simply weren't the team for Smith Jr. to truly compete for a roster spot.

Smith Jr's. time in Dallas was doomed before it even began

Before the offseason even began, one of the Mavericks' biggest needs was their lack of point-of-attack defense at the guard position. While Cooper Flagg will likely be one of the Mavericks' main defenders around the perimeter, the Mavericks still desperately need defensive depth at the point of attack, which was one of the reasons Smith Jr.'s signing made so much sense at the time.

For Smith Jr., it may have been an outside shot at making the Mavericks' active roster, but due to their defensive needs, Smith Jr.'s presence would have been more than enough to ensure the Mavericks would have had one of the league's best point of attack defenders sitting on their bench. To make matters even better for Smith Jr., Dante Exum has been dealing with numerous injuries, which made it possible for the Mavericks to move on from him.

Despite the concern from Exum's health and availability and Williams' non-guaranteed contract, the Mavericks opted to move on from Smith Jr. in a move that wouldn't surprise any fan on Friday morning. For Smith Jr., he still has a shot at playing for the Texas Legends, where he could potentially show out and expand his offensive game in the G-League for the opportunity at being signed by another team in the future.

It would have been one of the best feel-good stories for the Mavericks and their fans after a full season of despair and sadness had Smith Jr. made the team's active roster, but the reality is that Smith Jr.'s time with the Mavericks was always going to be short.

Since re-signing with the Mavericks, Smith Jr. would only suit up for two preseason games, where he would only make late-game appearances and have minimal production in those two appearances. Smith Jr.'s defense would have, without a doubt, made a major impact for the Mavericks this coming season, but due to his lack of ability to develop a three-point shot, his chances of cracking Dallas' starting roster were little to none.