WASHINGTON — When Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. missed three straight games of the West Coast trip, including two because of “DNP-CD” (Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision), he was asked if he thinks things will work out here in the end.

Smith gave an ominous response.

“I’m not really a wait-around-type guy,” he said, “you know what I’m saying?”

Indeed, Smith is dealing with a point-guard glut created by the Elfrid Payton signing and his own injuries — the latest a strained oblique that has him out indefinitely.

According to The Athletic, NBA executives who contacted the Knicks are under the impression Smith would be amenable to a new start. Minnesota reportedly has shown interest.

Knicks general manager Scott Perry walked out of the Georgetown gym with Smith after Friday’s practice in animated conversation.

The Knicks would have to get back a legitimate return — otherwise face the music on getting a modest payback after Smith became the centerpiece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Team president Steve Mills and Perry still haven’t addressed the media since November when they put former coach David Fizdale on alert, then fired him.

Asked by The Post point blank at Saturday’s morning shootaround at Georgetown if he still wants to be here, Smith said, “I like playing for the Knicks. So whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to take care of that.’’

So you want to be here?

“Right, I want to be here.”

“It hasn’t been in my mind,’’ Smith added. “You know what I’m saying? My thing is to take care of what I got going on now. I’m with the New York Knicks, so I try to be the best version of me with this team.”

The Post reported Smith was concerned when the Knicks signed Payton on July 1 to create a three-way point-guard logjam that includes Frank Ntilikina. In fact, one source told The Post that Smith’s camp considered asking for a trade when word got out to them Payton was all but promised the starting point-guard job.

“The way I look at it, of course, you come in and you want to play,’’ Smith said after the morning shootaround Friday. “I don’t know how much you’re supposed to feed into it. You want to see him do well. You want to do well yourself. That’s what it’s really about.’’

What it’s really about is the trickiness of the situation. Smith missed his second straight game Saturday in Washington with a oblique injury and had played just seven minutes in his last outing. He had been bothered by a back injury at the outset of training camp, then missed two weeks to be home with his family after his stepmother died.

Smith worked all summer on his jump shot with assistant coach Keith Smart, but then he got bounced with Fizdale, too.

“It’s a lot. It’s a lot,’’ Smith said of his ordeals. “The Lord wouldn’t give me nothing I couldn’t bear, so I’m going to be all right. I’ll deal with it. I’ll keep my focus positive and continue to work. It’ll make sense in the end.’’

On Friday, Smith said he’s learning “how to dance in the storm.’’ It’s clear Smith, who is not as sharp a defender as Payton or Ntilikina, is frustrated. The day before his stepmother died, Smith got booed by the Garden fans after he clanked a series of jumpers. He’s averaging just 5.2 points on 32.5 percent shooting.

“S–t happens,’’ Smith said of the boos. “You know what I’m saying? Wasn’t too long before I made a joke out of it. It didn’t really bother me.’’

“It’s been different,’’ Smith added. “Really, I just thought we would be a lot better. I thought we’d be a lot better. I thought we’d have more wins, less losses.’’

The Knicks took an 8-24 record into the Wizards game and there was a report that a few players wouldn’t mind a change of scenery to go to a winning team. Candidates could be Wayne Ellington and Bobby Portis, who signed one-year deals. Allonzo Trier also does not seem thrilled with his reduced role.

Ellington and Trier’s roles certainly won’t increase with Reggie Bullock on the way back.

Interim coach Mike Miller doesn’t see any signs of players worrying about their roles.

“Honestly right now these guys have been great,’’ Miller said. “They come here and work every day. They put winning in front of everything else in terms of their personal approach of things. They’ve been great. They’ve been professional.

“I think the nature of the league right now with the trade deadline, everybody is speculating about everything. There’s no way to tell what is real and what is speculation.’’

Trading Smith now would be difficult because he has a rare basketball injury with the oblique and there’s no timetable for his return.

“I’m sure he’s frustrated,’’ Miller said. “It’s just part of it. You go to keep moving and get healthy. It’s one of those things, there’s a not a lot of rehab he can do. It just has to heal.’’

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