Marcus Smart Picked Los Angeles Lakers Over 3 Rival Contenders
After finalizing a buyout with the Washington Wizards over the weekend, Marcus Smart plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers once waivers clear, sources confirmed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. The second year of the deal will be a player option.
Smart, 30, gave up roughly $6.8 million in guaranteed salary to reach the buyout agreement with Washington. He now joins a Lakers team that aggressively pursued his services and cleared roster space by waiving Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin.
The Lakers’ recruiting efforts were spearheaded by Luka Dončić, who personally contacted Smart and helped solidify the signing. The team viewed him as a critical addition to their backcourt rotation, especially after parting with Dorian Finney-Smith earlier in the offseason.
Marcus Smart Turned Down Other Contenders
The Lakers weren’t the only team in the mix. The Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Knicks all made serious efforts to sign Smart once he and his agent, Jason Glushon, were granted permission to explore options.
The Suns saw Smart as a potential fix for their perimeter defense issues. After finishing 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record and missing the postseason entirely, Phoenix moved on from Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant this summer. They now face a reset year focused on younger players and improved balance, but Smart reportedly favored a more immediate title window.
The Bucks were also in pursuit, seeking to add Smart’s defensive toughness next to their core, but were ultimately outpaced by the Lakers’ direct outreach and role clarity.
New York, meanwhile, expressed interest but couldn’t guarantee the kind of playing time Smart sought. Their deep guard rotation likely made them a less appealing fit.
What Marcus Smart Brings to the Los Angeles Lakers
Despite an injury-plagued 2024–25 campaign, Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals across 34 games split between the Memphis Grizzlies and Wizards. He shot 39.3% from the field and 34.8% from deep while playing just 20.0 minutes per game—a career low.
This marked his second straight season without a playoff appearance following nine consecutive trips with the Boston Celtics, where he built a reputation as one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders.
With the Lakers, Smart is expected to play a prominent defensive role alongside Dončić and LeBron James in a revamped rotation. He fills a major positional need as a point-of-attack defender and veteran presence on a team aiming to re-establish itself among the Western Conference elite.
As the Lakers continue retooling around Dončić and LeBron James, Smart’s leadership and defensive grit could prove to be a defining factor in their quest to return to contention. His decision to choose them over several playoff-caliber teams speaks to the clarity of role, opportunity, and belief in the organization’s direction under its new core.
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