Marcus Smart was expected to be bought out by the Wizards this summer, it was just unclear where he could end up as a free agent. In a surprise move, Smart plans to sign a two-year deal with the Lakers, the Celtics’ longtime rival.
While other teams like the Suns and Bucks reportedly pursued Smart as a free agent, turns out, Luka Doncic helped recruit Smart to Los Angeles. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Doncic “reached out to Smart and made it clear that he wanted to play with the two-way stalwart.”
The Lakers needed a defensive-minded contributor after losing Dorian Finney-Smith this summer, so that’s where Smart comes into the picture. Smart was the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. He’s also made the All-Defensive First Team three times in his career.
Celtics fans are going to have to get used to seeing Smart suit up in a Lakers jersey for the foreseeable future. Charania reported that Smart signed for two years and $11 million with the Lakers, though the second year is a player option. Smart will get a chance to show off what he can do with a Lakers squad that features Doncic and LeBron James. So, naturally, the spotlight will again be on Los Angeles.
Smart, 31, was traded from the Celtics in the 2023 offseason to the Grizzlies. While Memphis looked like an up-and-coming team, it stagnated as a contender. Smart was expected to be a veteran leader, but he couldn’t stay healthy as he played just 39 total games across 1.5 seasons in Memphis. He ended up being traded to the Wizards at last season’s deadline in what was effectively a salary dump.
Smart had made the playoffs in the first nine seasons of his career, all with the Celtics. There were multiple East Finals runs, along with the 2022 NBA Finals berth. But Smart has missed the playoffs over the past two seasons with the Grizzlies and Wizards. Now, though, he’ll get an opportunity show what he can still contribute with the Lakers.
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