Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. scratched from lineup due to knee effusion; will not travel to Houston tomorrow

Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. did not suit up for his team’s 93-88 home loss to the Kings on Friday night. In addition, The rookie point guard will not travel to Houston for the Mavericks’ road matchup against the Rockets on Saturday evening.

The news first leaked when Kings’ point guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters that Smith Jr. wouldn’t be in the lineup.

Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle gave an update on the health and status of his rookie point guard after the game.

“There was a little swelling, not believed to be serious,” Carlisle said. “He will not travel to Houston, and we hope he’s ok.”

Carlisle continued on Smith Jr.: “It doesn’t make sense to rush through the weekend and play him tomorrow. He’s had the swelling throughout training camp. Symptoms of having a (previous) ACL injury and taking on a heavier workload."

The immediate cause behind Smith Jr.’s condition is unknown. However, it is possible that the injury came as a result of a fall that the Mavericks’ rookie took in the home opener against the Atlanta Hawks on a Monday night.

Smith Jr. finished his debut with tied for the team high in points with 16.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. scratched from lineup due to knee effusion; will not travel to Houston tomorrow."