Nick Smith Jr.
American basketball player (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicholas Smith Jr. (born April 18, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He attended North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas during his senior year of high school, where he was named the #1 overall recruit in the class of 2022.
| No. 20 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / point guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 18, 2004 Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Arkansas (2022–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 27th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Charlotte Hornets |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2025 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2023–2024 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| 2025–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2025–present | →South Bay Lakers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
Smith originally attended Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas before transferring to North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas[1] prior to his senior year.[2][3] He was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Boys Underclassman of the Year his sophomore year, and Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons.[4][5] After leading North Little Rock High to a 26–3 record and the Arkansas Class 6A state championship, Smith was selected to play in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.[6][7]
Recruiting
Smith was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. On September 29, 2021, he committed to head coach Eric Musselman and the Arkansas Razorbacks, over other finalists Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas–Pine Bluff. Smith also received offers from Oklahoma, Georgetown, Kansas, North Carolina, Baylor, Florida, Butler, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Texas and Tennessee.[8][9] Smith was a consensus top five recruit nationally and was named the #1 overall recruit in the 2022 class by 247Sports.
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Smith PG / SG |
Jacksonville, AR | North Little Rock (AR) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 29, 2021 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (94) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 1 ESPN: 3 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Smith was projected to be a starting guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks for the 2022–23 season, though a persistent knee injury kept him sidelined for the majority of the season. Smith appeared in seventeen games, averaging 12.5 points per contest.[10] He returned late in the season, helping Arkansas advance to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Arkansas defeated Illinois in the first round 73-63, and upset #1 seed Kansas in the second round, 72–71. Smith and the Hogs lost to eventual national champion Connecticut in the Sweet 16, 88–65. Arkansas finished the season 22–14.
Professional career
Smith was selected with the 27th pick of the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets[11] and on July 2, he signed with the team.[12] Throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons, he was assigned several times to the Greensboro Swarm.[13][14]
Smith made 60 appearances (27 starts) for the Hornets during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Smith was waived by the Hornets on September 25, 2025.[15]
On September 29, 2025, Smith signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.[16]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |