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The Dallas Mavericks made a roster move on Monday after the 2026 NBA Summer League.
According to the NBA’s official transaction logs, the Mavericks waived Tyler Smith. The 21-year-old power forward finished last season with the Mavs and was one of three two-way players expected to make some noise in Las Vegas.
However, the Mavs are officially moving on from Smith, who was the 33rd overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft. He began his career with the Milwaukee Bucks and played 23 games as a rookie. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds on 48.0% shooting from the field.
The Bucks waived him before the start of the last season. He was drafted in the 2025 NBA G League Draft before signing a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets in December. He didn’t play a single game for the Rockets before getting released a month later.
Dallas scooped him up in March, and he finished the season with them. He appeared in 12 games and averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. He had 20 points in the final game of the season against the Chicago Bulls.
Tyler Smith Issue During NBA Summer League
While the Dallas Mavericks have not shared any reason why Tyler Smith was released, he didn’t impress in the 2026 NBA Summer League. It was supposed to be a showcase tournament for Smith, as well as the Mavs’ other two two-way players in John Poulakidas and Tobi Lawal.
However, Smith got off to a rocky start in the Summer League. Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban reported that the 21-year-old forward was supposed to start in the Mavericks’ first game in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors.
Smith was removed from the starting lineup after missing a film session. He came off the bench and scored seven points. He had a better game against the Los Angeles Lakers, with nine points and two rebounds.
Wilson was then benched in the Mavs’ next two games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder. He played in the team’s final Summer League game against the New York Knicks and put up 21 points and four rebounds.
Despite saving his best for last, the Mavericks decided to part ways with him and signed a former first-round pick in his place.
Dallas Mavericks Sign Jett Howard
GettyJett Howard #13 of the Orlando Magic looks on against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on October 30, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
After waiving Tyler Smith, the Dallas Mavericks have signed Jett Howard on a two-way contract. Howard was the 11th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Magic, but his playing time was very limited.
In 133 games for the Magic, Howard averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in just 11.0 minutes per game. The Magic didn’t pick up his team option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Howard is the son of one-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion Juwan Howard. He played one season of college basketball at his father’s alma mater, the University of Michigan.
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