NBA: Marcus Smart Set To Join LA Lakers After Buyout; Doncic's Influence Crucial
Smart, ex-NBA Defensive Player of the Year, agreed to a buyout with the Wizards and will sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Lakers. Luka Doncic influenced his choice.
Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a report from ESPN on Saturday.
Smart is expected to sign a two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers after clearing waivers. The deal includes a player option for the second year, which could allow the veteran guard to become a free agent in 2026.
Doncic Played a Role in Smart's Decision
According to ESPN, Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic personally reached out to Smart, expressing a strong interest in teaming up with the versatile two-way player. Smart averaged a career-low 20 minutes per game last season, largely due to an injury to a finger on his shooting hand.
Smart was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Memphis Grizzlies before the 2023–24 season and appeared in 19 games with Memphis before being dealt to the Wizards in February, where he played 15 additional games. Over the course of the season, he averaged 9.0 points and 3.2 assists.
A Career Defined by Defense and Grit
Despite injuries limiting him to just 54 total games over the past two seasons, Smart's reputation as a defensive stalwart remains intact. During his nine-year tenure with the Celtics, he helped lead the team to the playoffs every year, including a run to the NBA Finals in 2022—the same season he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Selected No. 6 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Smart has compiled career averages of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
While he's a modest shooter—converting 38.8 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three—his defensive prowess has always been his calling card, highlighted by a career average of 1.6 steals per game. He is currently just six steals away from reaching 1,000 for his career.
To make room on the roster, the Lakers plan to waive guard Shake Milton, per ESPN.
(with agency inputs)
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July 20, 2025, 16:25 IST
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