Nets reward Malachi Smith with two-year contract after ‘anything but easy’ journey to NBA

The Nets are signing guard Malachi Smith to a two-year deal Saturday.

It’s the ultimate case of grit paying off, with Smith going undrafted in 2023 and laboring in the G League since.

After excelling in Long Island, he got a pair of 10-day contracts and parlayed them into a standard deal in a move first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post.

“It’s been like a blessing, for sure,” Smith said after Friday night’s loss to the Hawks. “But I think it’s just a testament to my work and my journey. If anyone knows my journey, it’s anything but easy.

“And, for me, I’m just trying to stay present and just be the same player; but just be grateful and just do what got me here. So, obviously there’s a transition: physically, athletically, thinking the game a lot faster. But at the end of the day, it’s still basketball. So just having that same mentality, just going out there having fun and controlling the things I could control.”

Smith averaged 7.3 points and 2.1 rebounds across two 10-day contracts with the Nets as they’ve gone into full tank mode and played the tail end of their bench.

The guard has given them a spark, never more than Friday against Atlanta.

In a five-minute burst spanning the first and second quarters, Smith shot 4-of-4 overall and 3-of-3 from behind the arc to lift the Nets to within four with 10:59 left in the half.

He even hit a wild heave from well past the halfcourt logo that nearly beat the buzzer.

“I think just the mentality is leave it all on the floor,” Smith said. “I’m someone that has been praying for this opportunity and working for this opportunity for years, so I’m not going to take any minute for granted.

“I always tell myself I don’t care if I get one minute or 10 minutes, I’m gonna be able to go to sleep at night knowing I play as hard as I can. And then whatever happens after that, I can live with the results.”

This signing comes as the Nets are now all but assured of landing a top-three slot in the draft lottery.

After the Kings’ come-from-behind win Friday night against the Pelicans, Brooklyn is now 2 ½ games clear of both Sacramento and Utah.

The Nets would have to go 3-2 down the stretch, while either the Kings or Jazz would have to lose out for Brooklyn to fall into a fourth-place tie. They’ve only won three games since Feb. 10.