If you just look at the raw box score, you might think Nick Smith Jr. is just another young guard floating around the league. But honestly, if you've been watching the Lakers lately, you know that nick smith jr. stats don't even come close to telling the full story of what this kid brings to the floor.
Basketball is funny like that. Sometimes a guy averages 20 points on a bad team and nobody cares. Other times, a 21-year-old on a two-way contract comes in, hits a couple of massive threes in a random January game against the Hawks, and suddenly the coaching staff is scrambling to find him more minutes. That’s where we are right now with Nick.
The Reality of Nick Smith Jr. Stats in 2026
Let's look at the hard numbers first because that’s what everyone searches for. In the 2025-26 season so far, Smith is averaging about 6.3 points per game in roughly 13.7 minutes of action. He’s appeared in 21 games for Los Angeles, mostly coming off the bench as a spark plug. His shooting percentages have actually taken a nice jump compared to his time in Charlotte. He's hitting 40% from behind the arc on about 3 attempts per game.
That efficiency is key.
When he was with the Hornets, he was basically asked to survive. Now? He’s playing in a system under JJ Redick that actually values his specific brand of movement shooting. It’s a completely different vibe. Last year in Charlotte, he averaged 9.9 points and 2.4 assists in 22.8 minutes. While the scoring was higher then, his impact on winning feels way more tangible now. He isn't just putting up "empty calories" on a lottery team; he's fighting for a spot in a playoff rotation.
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Breaking Down the Shooting Splits
- Field Goal Percentage: 42.4% (A career high)
- Three-Point Percentage: 40.0% (Up from 34% last year)
- Free Throw Percentage: 60.0% (Wait—this is weirdly low for him, but the sample size of 0.5 attempts per game is tiny)
- Effective Field Goal %: 53.4%
It's kinda wild how much he has improved his shot selection. In Charlotte, he was taking a lot of contested mid-rangers. In LA, he’s basically become a "3-and-nothing" player—meaning he either shoots the three or gets all the way to the cup. It’s smart. It’s efficient. It’s why he’s survived on this roster.
Why the G League Numbers Matter
You can't talk about Nick Smith Jr. without mentioning the South Bay Lakers. Because he's on a two-way deal, he’s been shuttling back and forth between the big club and the G League. And man, he has been absolutely torching the G League competition.
We're talking 19.7 points per game at that level.
He looks like a man among boys down there. He’s getting 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game in those stints, proving that when he has the ball in his hands more often, he can facilitate. But the NBA is a different beast. In the league, he’s a secondary or tertiary option. The fact that he’s shown the maturity to scale his game down—to go from a 20-point scorer in South Bay to a 6-point specialist in the NBA—is why scouts still love his upside.
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Career Highs to Remember
Most people forget that Nick has actually had some big nights in the league.
- Most Points: 28 (against the Raptors back in April 2024)
- Most Assists: 10
- Most Rebounds: 6
- Three-Pointers Made: 5 (He's done this multiple times, most recently against the Blazers)
The "Arkansas Factor" and Injury History
Is he injury-prone? That’s the big question. Everyone remembers his time at Arkansas where he only played 17 games because of that nagging knee issue. It dropped him from being a potential top-3 pick all the way to 27th overall.
Honestly, he’s been relatively healthy since then. He had a minor groin strain at the end of the 2025 season that caused the Hornets to waive him, but he’s looked explosive with the Lakers. His "burst" is back. When you watch him navigate a screen, he doesn't look like a guy with bad knees anymore. He looks like the five-star recruit we saw in high school.
What's Next for Nick?
The Lakers have a decision to make. Currently, Nick is on a two-way contract, but there’s a lot of chatter about the team converting him to a standard NBA contract before the playoffs. They need his shooting.
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His nick smith jr. stats over the last five games show a guy who is ready for more. Just look at the January 13th game against Atlanta: 6 points in 4 minutes, including two huge triples. That’s efficiency you can’t ignore. He’s currently outperforming guys like Dalton Knecht and Maxwell Lewis in some of the advanced "impact" metrics like Net Rating, where he’s actually a +2.6 when he’s on the floor.
If you’re a fan or a fantasy manager, here is what you need to do:
- Watch the injury report: If any of the Lakers' main guards go down, Nick is the first guy to see a massive jump in usage.
- Track the "Conversion" news: Once he gets that standard contract, his role becomes much more "locked in."
- Ignore the raw PPG: Look at his 3P% and Defensive Rating. If those stay solid, Redick will keep him on the floor.
Nick Smith Jr. is still only 21. Most seniors in college are older than he is right now. The stats are starting to catch up to the talent, and for the Lakers, that could be a massive steal. Keep an eye on his minutes over the next few weeks; that will be the truest indicator of where his career is headed.