Smith logged 51 appearances off the bench as a rookie in 2023-24, though he was limited to just 14.3 minutes per game, and that situation shouldn't change drastically as he approaches his sophomore year in the NBA. LaMelo Ball will be healthy and Brandon Miller will have more responsibilities as a playmaker in his second year in the league, but even if Ball isn't around, Vasilije Micic is a more-than-capable backup at the point guard role. Tre Mann might be ahead of Smith in the pecking order as well, so Smith shouldn't garner a lot of fantasy interest regardless of the format. As young and filled with potential as he is, Smith won't have enough minutes at his disposal to make an impact in a rebuilding Charlotte team. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-year, $5.05 million contract with the Hornets in July of 2023. Hornets exercised $2.71 million team option for 2025-26 in October of 2024. Contract includes $4.89 million team option for 2026-27.
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.
Probable for Wednesday
GCharlotte Hornets
Ankle
April 1, 2025
Smith (ankle) is probable for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.
ANALYSIS The left ankle injury is a new concern for Smith, who hasn't missed an outing since Feb. 9. However, the 20-year-old is still likely to suit up against Indiana. Smith has averaged 12.2 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 three-pointers and 2.0 rebounds across 28.6 minutes per game in his last five outings (one start).
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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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 %
49.2%
Effective Field Goal %
47.5%
3-Point Attempt Rate
53.2%
Free Throw Rate
7.0%
Offensive Rebound %
1.1%
Defensive Rebound %
8.6%
Total Rebound %
4.8%
Assist %
15.3%
Steal %
0.6%
Block %
0.5%
Turnover %
10.5%
Usage %
20.7%
Fantasy Points Per Game
15.2
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.7
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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.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Hornets 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
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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
Pops for 19 off bench
GCharlotte Hornets
March 31, 2025
Smith finished with 19 points (7-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and two assists across 35 minutes off the bench during Sunday's 98-94 loss to the Pelicans.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
ANALYSIS The 20-year-old appeared in 51 games as a rookie during the 2023-24 regular season, averaging 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting a solid 43.2 percent from three-point range. Smith pointed to solid defense as his path to regular playing time, and a strong showing in training camp could be just what he needs to impress the Hornets' new head coach, Charles Lee.