Lakers trade proposal lands Marcus Smart in Wizards deal
The 2025 edition of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas has begun, and the Los Angeles Lakers' search for upgrades up and down their roster continues along. According to ClutchPoints Senior Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, LA is 'hoping to reignite trade talks' during Summer League, with one of their potential targets being former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
Smart, however, is no longer the player he once was. In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies had to attach a first-round pick just so they could get rid of Smart and his contract, and the Washington Wizards obliged. Smart once had one of the best contracts in the league, and yet here he is, having little to no trade value whatsoever, which could then pave the way for the Lakers to snag him for cheap.
He's in the final year of his deal making around $21 million, and Smart, if not traded, appears likely to be headed for the buyout market. But the Lakers would have many competitors in such a scenario, and trading for Smart allows them to get ahead of the competition in what could be a comeback season of sorts for the 2022 DPOY.
Here's the package the Lakers must put together to acquire Smart in a trade with the Wizards.
Lakers upgrade their backup point guard
Lakers acquire: Marcus Smart
Wizards acquire: Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, 2032 second-round pick
Towards the end of the 2024-25 season, Gabe Vincent began to round into form for the Lakers, looking like the man they signed off free agency from the Miami Heat in 2023. It was a major bounce-back for Vincent, who played in just 11 games for the Lakers in his disastrous first season in LA.
At the end of the day, Vincent, while a solid 3-and-D bench point guard, could not recapture the form he had for the Miami Heat now that he's on the Lakers. He averaged 6.4 points on 40 percent shooting last year, and he looms as a huge trade chip for the Lakers now that he's in the final year of his contract making $11 million.
What made Vincent valuable for the Lakers last season was that he showed up for the majority of the season, suiting up in 72 games and providing some much-needed backcourt versatility for the Purple and Gold. Giving him up for Smart requires the Lakers to take a risk and have faith that the 2022 DPOY isn't damaged goods quite yet.
That requires a lot of positive thinking, as the Grizzlies, the team that acquired Smart to be their de facto Dillon Brooks replacement, had to give up a first-rounder just so they could get his contract off the books. Smart hasn't been at his best physically over the past few seasons, picking up a knock here and there which added up to a ton of missed time
Last year, Smart played in just 34 games, and over the past two campaigns, he suited up in just 54 contests. Availability may not be the best ability, but it sure does matter a lot, and for a Lakers squad that's looking to compete for a championship in the loaded Western Conference, Smart would need to play a ton of minutes in the event that he lands in LA — putting him at risk of picking up injuries.
There is a chance that the 31-year-old won't be able to return to his DPOY form, although even then, he would represent an upgrade over Vincent. But it's not quite clear if the Lakers could afford to play it safe with Smart by giving him occasional rest days and not overworking him. LA may not have such luxury, especially if they're trading away a valuable bench piece in Vincent in the process.
But at the very least, Smart showed that he can still play solid basketball for stretches. His shooting percentages improved towards the end of last season when he was with the Wizards, and in LA, he won't be tasked to do much of anything other than to defend, hit open shots, and ruffle opponents' feathers.
The expectation for Smart should the Lakers trade for him would be for him to play at least 65 games, play 20 minutes a night, and act as a key piece of a Purple and Gold squad that aims to recapture the defensive heights they reached last year.
With the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith, acquiring a multi-positional defender is a must for the Lakers, and Smart, while undersized relative to Finney-Smith, has shown he can battle against the premier scorers of the association — provided he remains healthy, of course.
For the opportunity to perhaps facilitate a career revival for Smart, the Lakers, in this scenario, will be giving up Maxi Kleber and a 2032 second-rounder as well. That second-rounder is seven years out, so that should not matter too much for a team looking to win now.
Kleber could be a valuable stretch big option, but one would think that the Lakers would want to keep Jarred Vanderbilt over Kleber instead when choosing who to include for salary-matching purposes.
Related: Lakers' Bronny James catches more attention after lighting it up vs. Celtics
Related: Sources: LeBron James retirement buzz gets louder at NBA Summer League
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