Smith was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and relocated with his family to Houston, Texas after they were was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

[3] He had scholarship offers from Kansas, Baylor, Texas, Florida State, Oklahoma, Memphis, and LSU, among others.

[4] Smith opted not to pursue a collegiate career and signed a two-year contract with Overtime Elite (OTE), a new professional league based in Atlanta with players between ages 16 and 20, on August 22, 2021.

[6][7] Smith was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024 NBA draft[8][9] and on July 5, he signed with them.

[10] Smith made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 124–109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers[11] and throughout his rookie season, he has been assigned several times to the Wisconsin Herd.