Mavericks’ forgotten signing is set to repeat history in the best way

With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks could definitely serve to play some of their younger players, like AJ Johnson, more down the stretch of the season. But at least Jason Kidd is giving two-way contract signees John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith some more run, as Smith balled out in Dallas' loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. If Smith continues to develop, he could follow suit in Dallas' trend of hitting home runs on two-way contract guys.

While Poulakidas has had a few solid shooting games from outside, this was the first NBA contest where fans saw the full arsenal of Smith's game, as he's a rangy 6-foot-9 wing that can knock down open 3-pointers, defend multiple positions, and is a decent cutter. The 21-year-old Smith finished with eight points on 3-5 shooting from the field in just eight minutes in Dallas' loss to the Nuggets, and there's an argument to be made that Kidd should've played him more after his promising first half.

Smith could be the next great two-way contract signee in Dallas

Smith is an NBA G League Ignite product, and through 67 games in the G League over three seasons, he's averaged 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and about one steal and one block per game, with shooting splits of 47.5/37.2/72.8. He needs to get a bit stronger and more consistent as a shooter at the NBA level, but he's a former high second-round pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, and the frame and skill set are definitely there for him to develop him into a rotational player.

Given former two-way contract signee Miles Kelly having some elite scoring performances for the Texas Legends recently, there had been some skepticism from fans if Dallas made the right decision to cut Kelly en route to filling out their last two-way slots with Smith and Poulakidas, but the versatility Smith displayed on Wednesday night is making Dallas look less foolish in this instance.

Smith has the tools to become a rotational 3-and-D wing

Dallas still may regret not keeping Kelly if he dips elsewhere this offseason, but it may be more from the standpoint of signing Poulakidas over Kelly compared to Smith, especially if Smith continues to prove he can be a contributor as a rangy 3-and-D prospect over the last nine games of the season. Dallas has built up an elite track record of hitting on two-way guys like Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams in recent seasons, and Smith could be the next ascension of this promising trend.

The Mavericks have to win within the margins in this department, considering how limited they are in terms of controlling their future first-round draft capital until 2031, as building a great young core around Cooper Flagg is the priority. Given Smith's age and frame, he's definitely someone Dallas should consider keeping on a two-way contract next season, or signing to a standard deal in the offseason if he continues to show promise.