Marcus Smart to sign with Lakers after Wizards buyout (report)
Marcus Smart now gets a chance to be back on the big stage, but he’ll do so with a Celtics rival. Smart plans to sign with the Lakers after getting bought out by the Wizards, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. That’s a huge move as Smart gets a chance to compete with a Lakers team that will be in the spotlight all season.
There were murmurs that Smart could get bought out by the Wizards considering they didn’t have enough roster spots. Other teams were rumored to be in the hunt, but Smart will end up on the Lakers in a surprise move midway through the offseason.
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Charania reports that Smart will ink a two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers with the second year being a player option. Smart had one year and $21.6 million left on his contract before getting bought out by the Wizards. Per Charania, the Suns and Bucks also “seriously pursued” Smart before the guard chose to end up with the Lakers.
Smart, 31, has been away from the playoffs the past two years. He had made the postseason in his first nine seasons in the NBA, all with the Celtics. Now, he’ll get to team up alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Lakers needed a defensive guard as Smart brings that to Los Angeles. Smart was the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, plus he’s made three All-Defensive First-Teams in his career. For Celtics fans, it’ll likely feel strange watching Smart play for the Lakers of all teams.
Smart was traded from the Celtics to the Grizzlies back in the 2023 offseason in a three-team that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Smart was expected to be the veteran, defensive-first guard on a young Grizzlies team looking to compete.
However, Smart just couldn’t stay healthy in Memphis. He only played 39 total games for the Grizzlies across 1.5 seasons. He was shipped to the Wizards at last season’s trade deadline in what was effectively a salary dump. Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 34 total games last season.
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