Nick Smith

Nicholas Smith Jr. (born April 18, 2004) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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.

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 prior to his senior year. 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. 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.

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. Smith was a consensus top five recruit nationally and was named the #1 overall recruit in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

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. 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 Charlotte Hornets (2023–2025) Smith was selected with the 27th pick of the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets and on July 2, he signed with the team. Smith made franchise history with the Hornets during his rookie season by finishing the year with a scorching 43.2% three-point shooting percentage, which placed him among the most efficient rookie shooters in franchise history. He became only the second NBA rookie ever—at age 19 or younger—to hit this efficiency threshold, joining Jayson Tatum (who shot 43.4% in 2017-18). Among all rookies in NBA History, his campaign remains near the top for high-volume, first-year marksmen. This exceptional mark led all rookies in 3-point percentage for the 2023-2024 season. Throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons, he was assigned several times to the Greensboro Swarm. 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. Los Angeles Lakers (2025–2026) On September 29, 2025, Smith signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Smith made franchise history by becoming the youngest player in Lakers history to score 25 or more points without attempting a single free throw. He achieved this during a standout performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. He also became the 6th player in Lakers franchise to record 25+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ 3PM off the bench in a regular season game. On April 12, 2026, Smith's contract was converted to a two-year, standard contract.

Career statistics

NBA Regular season

Playoffs

College