The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t done with the offseason just yet. News came out on Saturday that former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart plans to sign with the team following a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Smart will head to LA on a two-year, $11 million contract.
Smart joins an interesting group of Lakers offseason additions alongside Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton. With Anthony Davis and Dorian Finney-Smith in Dallas and Houston, respectively, they needed a defensive presence to replace those former Lakers. Smart brings that in spades as a backcourt defender.
His offensive stats aren’t very inspiring. Since his 2022 DPOY campaign, Smart is shooting just 33.4% from deep. Over the last two seasons, the guard’s stat averages sit at 11.0 points and 3.6 assists per game with 1.5 steals. However, he is known as a strong secondary ball-mover and is aggressive. In the modern NBA, gun-shy players get you killed. Smart will never leave the game with an empty clip and won’t be afraid to shoot the ball.
The most important stat of all for Smart is games played. He’s appeared in a total 115 out of 246 possible games in the last three years while plagued by numerous injuries in Memphis and Washington. It’s no wonder he found himself taking a steep discount on the market. Los Angeles won’t be counting on him as a starter so he can play mostly reserve minutes, but his health is the biggest question mark.
The Lakers own the seventh-best odds to win the 2025-26 NBA championship on DraftKings Sportsbook. There has been no noticeable odds shift since the news broke. It seems oddsmakers are skeptical about his health and overall impact, but for an addition this late in the offseason, the Lakers did well for themselves by adding guard depth with upside.
