The Los Angeles Lakers are inching toward the same conclusion the Charlotte Hornets reached with Nick Smith Jr. a year ago: it’s time to move on. This offseason, LA must decide whether to pick up Smith Jr.'s team option—a decision that’s looking very easy to make.
Charlotte already made its call last fall, waiving Smith Jr. before the 2025-26 season even tipped off. Smith Jr. was selected 27th overall by Charlotte in the 2023 NBA Draft, the same year that the Hornets missed out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. He never found his footing in the purple and teal.
Now the Lakers are arriving at the same realization. Smith Jr. hasn’t developed into the player they hoped he could become, and the flashes simply haven’t outweighed the concerns. All signs point to Los Angeles declining his option and allowing him to hit free agency, ending another chapter in a once‑promising prospect.
The Hornets knew Nick Smith Jr. was a draft bust after his second year as a pro
With the Hornets, Smith Jr. averaged 8.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 18.9 minutes per game. For a young rotational guard, those numbers aren't too bad at first glance. But once you dig deeper, the concerns start stacking up.
His second season brought a steep regression as a shooter. After hitting an impressive 43.2 percent from three as a rookie, he plummeted to just 34.0 percent from deep. For a guard whose value is tied heavily to scoring, that kind of efficiency drop-off is hard to ignore.
Coming out of college, Smith was billed as a high-upside combo guard. The issue was that his game never expanded beyond scoring. And in Charlotte, we’ve already seen how limited that playstyle becomes for a player if you’re not consistently elite in that department.
The crowded backcourt didn’t help either. LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Spencer Dinwiddie all offered more versatility or higher impact. Smith Jr. simply became the odd man out, as he was clearly a tier below the rest of the group.
No matter how you frame it, getting waived in your second season as a first‑round pick will throw the draft bust label on you. At 6’2”, with mediocre playmaking and negative defense, his floor was always low.
The Lakers are on a different timeline and Smith Jr. doesn't fit
The Lakers are about to come to that same realization as LA has better options to deploy who can provide more than just scoring. Their win‑now timeline around Luka Doncic doesn’t leave room for a one‑dimensional scorer right now.
Smith Jr.’s NBA career isn’t over—there’s still a path forward. A two‑way contract or a developmental role on a rebuilding team could give him another shot.
But at this point, it’s hard to envision him ever meeting the expectations that come with being a first‑round pick, especially after bouncing to a third team in three years.
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