Zhaire Smith is one name that will definitely not be remembered too fondly by fans. After all, the Philadelphia 76ers infamously traded for him (and a first-round pick, which they jettisoned anyway) for Mikal Bridges, whom they drafted in the first place. Lauded as an indubitable draft bust, he now has another shot to crack an NBA roster and water down the unfortunate label he has carried with him as he finds himself in a training camp deal with the Thunder.
Realistically speaking, the chances of Smith making it to Oklahoma City's opening night roster are very slim. If anything, him being on a camp deal is most likely for the purpose of the Thunder having his G-League rights anew, since the former 76ers wing finished this past G-League season with the Texas Legends after starting the campaign with the Oklahoma City Blue. Be that as it may, this is still an opportunity for him to showcase what he has learned in the last few years.
76ers draft bust Zhaire Smith gets another shot to crack an NBA roster
Smith notoriously appeared in just 13 games in his two years with the 76ers, a stint marred by an early injury in his rookie campaign and a pretty serious food allergy incident that caused him to miss significant time. It also did not help that he simply failed to impress at large, although he did fare well in his extremely limited minutes during his freshman year.
Nonetheless, given that Smith never sniffed an NBA roster spot after the 76ers parted ways with him, he was justifiably labeled a bust. Mikal Bridges becoming a fringe All-Star-caliber player also made the 76ers look even more foolish in making that draft-day deal.
OKC has an ample collection of competent guards and wings, which already makes it highly difficult for Smith to make it to their actual roster. Having said that, if he can display what he has learned over the years in the G League and manages to impress the Thunder, their front office might just take a flier on him. After all, Sam Presti and his crew are quite forgiving when it comes to rewarding players with second chances when warranted.
If Smith beats the odds and finds himself in the Thunder's opening-night roster, he will have a rare opportunity to slowly macerate that bust narrative. After all, he is an athletic wing who has had a lot of success as a highly efficient scorer who can also make plays for his teammates over the last few years.
The 76ers fanbase will never be fond of Zhaire Smith, but the script could flip for him with the Thunder. The actual chances of that happening are very slim, but for someone who hit such a major career roadblock early on, he will take that opportunity at any time of the day.
