In 2023, NSW players Moises Henriques, Tanveer Sangha and Ben Dwarshuis were part of Freedom's squad, along with Sixers' Josh Philippe.

Smith, who owns an apartment in New York, has previously said it would be "pretty cool" to play in the USA.

However, he faces a fight to earn a spot in Australia's final 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in June, having been unable to play much T20 cricket in recent times. Since his prolific return to the BBL for Sydney Sixers in the 2022-23 season, where he made 346 runs at a strike rate of 174.74, Smith has played two T20Is in India, two matches in last season's BBL and as many games against New Zealand in February, where he made 11 and 4 while opening the batting.

But after the New Zealand series, he said he was relaxed about whichever way the selection call for the T20 World Cup fell, with Australia having to name their initial squad by May 1.

"I think they're pretty settled up top - to be honest - with [Travis] Head, [David] Warner and [Mitchell] Marsh in the top three,'' he had told AAP. "I'm not really sure what [selectors] want to do. I'm not really too fussed either way. If I'm there, I'm there; if I'm not, I'm not."

Smith joins Adam Zampa (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Spencer Johnson (Knight Riders) and Tim David (MI New York) as confirmed Australian signings for the second season of MLC, with more expected to join for the tournament which starts immediately after the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies ends on June 29.