The 2023 No. 27 overall pick, Smith saw increased playing time in Year 2 due to the injuries in Charlotte and was more productive than his rookie season. However, the sharpshooter shot only 34 percent from deep on 5.1 attempts per game in 2024-25 compared to 43.2 percent on 2.9 tries a night in 2023-24. The Hornets did Smith no favors this offseason. They added to a backcourt that'll be led by a healthy LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller by drafting Kon Knueppel at No. 4 overall while signing Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Pat Connaughton in free agency. Knueppel, Sexton and Dinwiddie should all jump Smith on the depth chart, while Connaughton competes with Tre Mann and Smith for the leftovers. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in September of 2025.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Nick Smith spent his lone collegiate season at Arkansas, where he appeared in 17 games (14 starts) and helped lead the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16. A knee injury plagued Smith throughout his freshman season, causing him to miss 19 games in total, including the entire month of January. In his first collegiate start on Dec. 3 against San Jose State, Smith posted 16 points and five assists in just 24 minutes of action. Later in the season, he went for a season-high 26 points in a win over Georgia, knocking down five three-pointers. In the Razorbacks' regular-season finale, Smith poured in 25 points to go with six assists and four steals against Kentucky. Coming out of high school, Smith was widely considered one of the top recruits in the nation. The Jacksonville, AR native was a consensus five-star recruit and was selected to both the Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald's All-American Game. A natural scorer with excellent athleticism and length, Smith has a quick first step and a tight handle that allows him to work around defenders and create his own shot. Mechanics-wise, his jump shot looks elite, though he shot only 33.8 percent from three in a relatively limited sample (4.2 3PA/G) at Arkansas. Smith's burst and shiftiness off the dribble may be his most useful trait at the next level, where he projects as a two-guard who can also play on the ball. Smith's athleticism and long wingspan (6-foot-8) should enable him to be a decent defender at the next level, but he may need to add some weight. Even after an abbreviated season at Arkansas, Smith firmly projects as a lottery pick and carries immense upside, offensively. While he likely won't step directly into a major role, Smith should make an impact as a rookie and has the talent to develop into a borderline-star down the road - particularly if he progresses as a playmaker to complement his scoring. Smith's game shows shades of Jamal Crawford, Malik Monk and Jordan Poole.
Another solid outing
GLos Angeles Lakers
December 5, 2025
Smith amassed 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt), two rebounds, one block and two steals in 24 minutes during Friday's 126-105 loss to the Celtics.
ANALYSIS Smith has now scored in double digits in back-to-back games, providing the Lakers with a much-needed spark off the bench in the absences of Luka Doncic (personal) and LeBron James (sciatica/foot). Smith's playing time has been sporadic this season, and his minutes will likely take a hit if Doncic and/or James are cleared to return Sunday against the 76ers.
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
Loading Split Stats...
Advanced Stats
Loading Advanced Stats...
2025
2024
2023
Stat Review
How does Nick Smith compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
59.7%
Effective Field Goal %
58.9%
3-Point Attempt Rate
51.8%
Free Throw Rate
10.7%
Offensive Rebound %
0.9%
Defensive Rebound %
7.8%
Total Rebound %
4.5%
Assist %
15.5%
Steal %
2.3%
Block %
1.5%
Turnover %
13.1%
Usage %
22.7%
Fantasy Points Per Game
13.2
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.9
Loading Player Stat Review...
Loading Player Stat Review...
Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
Loading Historical Fantasy Stats...
NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
Loading Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats...
NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
Loading Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats...
Historical ADP
Loading Historical ADP...
Lakers Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Nick Smith was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
Loading Average Minutes...
Loading FanDuel Points...
Loading DraftKings Points...
Loading Yahoo Points...
Loading Head2Head Points...
Loading Sorare Points...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Nick Smith See More
RotoWire's Dan Bruno provides expert insight and analysis for fantasy basketball managers putting together a DraftKings DFS lineup for today's NBA games.
RotoWire's Dan Bruno looks at today's NBA games and provides analysis and advice for the DraftKings DFS slate, including notes on Zaccharie Risacher's recent play.
Can Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr keep up their strong production? RotoWire expert Juan Carlos Blanco advises who to start and sit during the fantasy basketball playoffs.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Selected with the 27th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Smith will likely serve as a backup behind LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. He flashed some nice offensive upside during his one season at Arkansas, something the Hornets will be hoping he can replicate in his limited time on the floor. Efficiency is going to be an issue, although that is par for the course when it comes to rookie guards. He should compete with Bryce McGowens and James Bouknight for playing time, both of whom are yet to prove themselves at the NBA level. With a view to playing no more than about 12 minutes per night, Smith is not someone who warrants much attention in fantasy redraft leagues.
More Fantasy News
Fares well off bench
GLos Angeles Lakers
December 5, 2025
Smith produced 12 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), two rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes during Thursday's 123-120 victory over the Raptors.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Goes for 22 in G League
GSouth Bay Lakers G League (Lakers)
November 24, 2025
Smith posted 22 points (7-16 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), a rebound and an assist across 32 minutes in Sunday's 108-105 victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Erupts for 25 points
GLos Angeles Lakers
November 4, 2025
Smith accumulated 25 points (10-15 FG, 5-6 3Pt), six assists, two steals and one rebound across 27 minutes during Monday's 123-115 victory over the Trail Blazers.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Inks two-way deal with LAL
GSouth Bay Lakers G League (Lakers)
Groin
September 29, 2025
Smith (groin) is signing a two-way contract with the Lakers on Monday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
ANALYSIS The Hornets revamped their guard rotation early on in the offseason, acquiring Collin Sexton and Spencer Dinwiddie while agreeing to re-sign Tre Mann. That could make Smith expendable, and it will be interesting to see if there's a market for the 21-year-old guard. During the 2024-25 regular season, Smith made 60 appearances with averages of 9.9 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds on 39.1 percent shooting from the field.