As an Arkansas freshman, Nick Smith Jr. only played in about half the team’s games this past season, thanks to a knee injury that limited him to 17 appearances. Now, the Charlotte Hornets will get a chance to see why their new guard was one of the most sought-after high school players in the country not too long ago after picking him 27th in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Jacksonville, AR native finished the 2022-23 campaign averaging 12.5 points on 37.6% shooting – 33.8% from 3-point range and 74.0% from the free-throw line – 1.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals over 25.8 minutes per contest for his home state Razorbacks. Despite the handful of absences, Smith still finished out the season and helped Arkansas reach the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
Measuring in at 6’5” and 185 pounds with a 6’8” wingspan, the 19-year-old Smith could potentially play both guard positions down the line, provided he adds some muscle to his frame. He had the ball in his hands a bit more prior to college and is highly regarded for “his ability to change speeds, polished footwork, live-dribble passing, creative finishing and off-the-dribble shot-making,” according to ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony.
“We had him much higher in the draft,” said Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “He’s young, he’s got great size, he’s a shooter. In our league, that’s at a premium. He’s athletic. Last week, I spoke to his college coach, Eric Musselman, about all his players at Arkansas, and Nick was one who he spoke very highly of. We feel very fortunate to get Nick where we did.”
“I’m extremely blessed just to go through the process and hear my name called,” said Smith, shortly after some emotional moments on draft night. “It was definitely something my family was waiting on. There were tears of joy. I was extremely happy. I feel like I can bring a certain level of competitiveness and learn a few things from the coaching staff and my teammates. Shooting the ball at a high clip, practicing hard. I’m ready to put the work in.”
Along with Anthony Black (Orlando) and Jordan Walsh (Boston, pending trade), Smith was one of three Arkansas players to get drafted this year, giving the program seven draftees in total since 2019. Another minor connection to note is that Smith’s new teammate Cody Martin also played for Musselman at Nevada from 2016-19.
Before arriving in Fayetteville, Smith was ESPN’s third-ranked player in the high school class of 2022 and one of the top-3 highest-rated players to ever commit to Arkansas along with Corliss Williamson and Al Jefferson. He’ll now also be reunited in Charlotte with second overall selection Brandon Miller, who he previously played with on the Brad Beal Elite AAU team.
“Brandon is my right-hand man,” said Smith. “I talk to him every day and obviously, I’m going to do that still now. I’m just ready to get to work with him. He’s an extremely good player. I’ve been working with him ever since we were in high school, and the journey continues. I feel like everything happens for a reason.”
With Smith, the Hornets are getting a super high-end talent that didn’t get to fully showcase his abilities in college because of some bad luck and other circumstances outside of his control. Few would have blamed him if he chose to pull the plug early on the season to fully focus on the draft, but that was never an option in his eyes. Smith is ready to put that adversity behind him and attack the next stage of his basketball career in Charlotte.
“If that ball’s bouncing, I’m always going to try and be available,” said Smith. “[My knee] isn’t going to affect me anymore. That’s out of the picture. I’m extremely healthy right now. I feel good and I’m ready to put the work in. I’m coming in with a big chip, for sure, but I also understand this game is a business. Charlotte was willing to take a chance on me. My trust is in Charlotte right now and I’m very thankful that they believed in me. I’m ready to get to work.”