Under Armour Signs Mavericks Rookie Dennis Smith Jr.

In what will be the steal of the 2017 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks solidified their scoring point guard position by picking Dennis Smith Jr. ninth overall (thank you, Knicks fans).

Smith is an explosive, driving, athletic point guard like Dallas has never had and will immediately change the face of the franchise as the Mavs transition from the Dirk era to the future. Coming along with the new jersey for Smith will be a new shoe company: Under Armour.

According to ESPN, the $2 million per year for three years deal will outfit Dennis Smith Jr. in Under Armour footwear and apparel. Not too shabby, but the business savvy Smith really impressed us. While most rookies signed before summer league, Smith Jr waited until after showing out to up his value and reputation for star power — confident from day one.

Dennis wore adidas in college at North Carolina State and was rocking the adidas Harden Vol. 1 in the summer leagues. However, back in high school, Smith was MVP of the Under Armour Select Camp and almost gave Steph a stroke when he threw down in a one-on-one game — check the video below from Ball Is Life.

This was the beginning of a strong relationship between Stephen Curry and Dennis Smith Jr., and with brother Seth Curry on the Mavs, the bond between the players and Under Armour only grew stronger.

under armour drive 4 1

Now, Dennis Smith Jr. will be a new face wearing the Drive 4, Under Armour’s latest team shoe for the 2017-2018 season.

You can read our Under Armour Drive 4 performance review for more information. As an all-around performer, it stacks up well at its price point. You can purchase the UA Drive 4 now at Eastbay.com.

under armour dennis smith jr 1 — LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 16: Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks goes to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2017 Summer League Semifinals on July 16, 2017 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Under Armour’s stock has dropped 49% over the past 12 months and sales in the basketball market slowing down (all the brands are slow in basketball now), Smith Jr. could be the dynamic scorer and personality needed to inject life back into the once promising shoe line. Under Armour has an Armoury store about 25 minutes from where the Mavs play so the potential for marketing to his home audience in a big way is definitely there.

Will Dennis Smith Jr. be the star he needs to be? Will Under Armour be able to market him strong enough in the next three years? As always, drop knowledge below.