Alen Smailagic returns to practice, will travel on Warriors' road trip

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Alen Smailagic -- the man they call "Smiley" -- has reason to smile right now.

"He practiced. Great to see him out here finally," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Sunday when asked about the rookie big man. "Poor guy has had a long recovery from a bad sprain. But he looked good out there.

"He won't play tomorrow. I think we'll have an update on Wednesday, and then he will travel with us on Thursday."

Smailagic -- who the Warriors selected with the No. 39 overall pick in last June's draft -- rolled his right ankle during Golden State's second training camp practice, and has been sidelined ever since.

It's clearly a great sign that he will board the team plane on Thanksgiving, and it's safe to assume he will make his debut on the five-game road trip.

The Warriors play at Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago over an eight-day stretch.

[RELATEDWarriors' Burks reveals ankle still isn't fully healthy]

The 19-year-old averaged 16.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.0 blocks and 1.0 steals over the final four regular-season games with the G League's Santa Cruz Warriors last season.

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