Malachi Smith’s NBA breakthrough didn’t arrive all at once. It came in stages: a strong March, one 10-day contract, then another, with stretches of minutes where he kept showing he belonged.

On Saturday, the Nets made it official, signing Smith to a multi-year contract. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the deal is for two years. Smith signed his first 10-day on March 14 and added a second on March 25 before doing enough to earn a standard deal and a longer stay in Brooklyn.

“I was just ecstatic and just grateful,” Smith said. “Just thankful to God, of course, and just tried to be present. I was with my mom and my stepdad, so we went and got dinner and just kind of took a trip down memory lane.”

The production made the decision easier. In 11 games with Brooklyn, Smith has averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, shooting 49.2% from the field and 46.2% from 3-point range. Arguably his most impactful night came in last Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, when he scored 15 points and went 4-for-5 from deep in just under 17 minutes, tying the franchise record for 3-pointers made in a game by an undrafted rookie. He also set a career high with 18 points against Sacramento on March 22.

This story, though, isn’t only about shot-making. It’s also about timing and health. Smith said injuries in his first two years slowed his momentum, including one during Summer League last year that kept him out in September and limited his window to show teams he was ready.

Now healthy, Smith said the next step is proving he can do what he’s already shown at a higher level, more consistently, especially on defense.

“I just always was like, I know I can do this,” Smith said. “I just have to be healthy to play.”

The path to this deal ran through Long Island. Smith spent the previous two seasons in the G League with the Rip City Remix, Wisconsin Herd and Memphis Hustle before joining the Long Island Nets this season and then getting his call-up. He credited the Long Island staff for staying on him even when he wasn’t playing early.

Nets head coach Jordi Fernández framed Smith’s rise as part of a bigger pattern with players coming from the organization’s G League pipeline.

“The type of person he is,” Fernández said. “A lot of our guys that played in Long Island… they’re the same person. They’re not there trying to be or do something and then coming here and trying to be somebody else.”

There’s also a personal connection in the locker room. Smith and E.J. Liddell won an Illinois state championship together at Belleville West High School in 2018, and they’re teammates again with Liddell on a two-way contract. Liddell said the news didn’t feel real when he first saw it.

“Crazy,” Liddell said. “It didn’t even — I’m not going to lie — it didn’t look real.”

For Smith, the moment landed hardest because his mother was there for it. He said her first reaction was to think about what it took just to keep giving him chances to chase it.

“She just was just like all the traveling on AAU trips and all that stuff… all the stuff she sacrificed to just try to give me an opportunity,” Smith said. “So, I was just telling her how much I appreciate her.”

And when Smith tried to explain why the timing felt fitting, he didn’t reach for a basketball answer.

“I think it happening on [Easter], just my journey, it took God to get here,” Smith said. “And with me and my mom, she was with me the whole entire time, so it was only right for her to be here when it happened.”