Several other teams pursued Marcus Smart after his contract buyout
Smart, 31, has long been known as a defensive menace. He has made three All-Defensive first teams and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, and he is also a solid secondary ball-handler and facilitator. As long as he is spry and healthy, he should seriously improve the Lakers' anemic perimeter defense.
Perhaps Smart didn't just fall into the Lakers' lap. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks also went after him.
"The Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks seriously pursued Smart, who received permission to speak to teams along with his agent, Jason Glushon, and had positive conversations with personnel from all three teams, sources said," Charania wrote. "After losing Dorian Finney-Smith, a point-of-attack wing defender was a major position of need for the Lakers."
The New York Knicks, who, like the Lakers, are trying to get over the hump and win the NBA championship, reportedly also had interest in Smart. But per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks couldn't offer him enough playing time.
The Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals in May, have a crowded backcourt. They already have Miles McBride, a noted spark plug, coming off the bench, and they also added former Lakers and 2021 Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson.
The Lakers badly need someone such as Smart who can contain opposing guards. His game has waned a bit over the past couple of seasons, and he has appeared in just 54 games over the last two years, but it isn't a stretch to imagine him returning to form this coming season.
He could essentially take over the role Gabe Vincent played. Vincent brings effort on the defensive end, but his outside shooting is sporadic, and when he isn't hitting from 3-point range, he seems to be a dead weight on the court.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
What irks Boston Celtics fans more, Marcus Smart to the Lakers, or Ben Simmons rumors?
What are Boston Celtics fans more irked by, Marcus Smart to the Los Angeles Lakers, or Ben Simmons rumors? The Celtics have been linked to the former Los Angeles Clippers big man despite his well-publicized travails during his stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers before joining the Clippers in the same week that Smart, former Boston floor general, signed a deal with the Lakers after being bought out by the Washington Wizards. Needless to say, neither of these offseason news items went over well with a large portion of the Boston faithful, with some riled up by the possibility of seeing a beloved former player suiting up in gold and purple, and others cringing at the notion of Simmons playing for the Celtics. The folks behind the "NBC Sports Boston" YouTube channel put together a clip taking a closer look at what is behind the visceral responses to both. Check it out below! Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What irks Boston Celtics fans more, Marcus Smart to the Lakers, or Ben Simmons rumors?
What are Boston Celtics fans more irked by, Marcus Smart to the Los Angeles Lakers, or Ben Simmons rumors? The Celtics have been linked to the former Los Angeles Clippers big man despite his well-publicized travails during his stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers before joining the Clippers in the same week that Smart, former Boston floor general, signed a deal with the Lakers after being bought out by the Washington Wizards. Needless to say, neither of these offseason news items went over well with a large portion of the Boston faithful, with some riled up by the possibility of seeing a beloved former player suiting up in gold and purple, and others cringing at the notion of Simmons playing for the Celtics. The folks behind the "NBC Sports Boston" YouTube channel put together a clip taking a closer look at what is behind the visceral responses to both. Check it out below! Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What irks Celtics fans more, Smart to Lakers, or Ben Simmons rumors?
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
This one move could turn the Suns' offense into a two-way juggernaut
Look, we get it. The name Ben Simmons doesn't light up the scoreboard or ignite your fantasy league. It probably makes your Philly friends flinch. But if you actually look at what this Phoenix Suns roster needs — and we mean really look — you might realize Simmons is the right kind of weird. Let's be blunt: the Suns are stacked with scorers in the backcourt. Devin Booker and newly acquired Jalen Green are walking buckets, but both are best off-ball in a shooting guard role. The offense isn't begging for another guy who needs the ball to score 20+. What it does need is someone to run the show, play defense at a high level, and not demand touches. Oh, and if that someone can guard the opposing team's best wing? That's gold in the Valley. Simmons vs. Giddey vs. Durant: Why Defense Still Matters Sure, the Bulls' Josh Giddey is another oversized point option floating around in trade rumors. But the man regularly earns F grades from advanced defensive metrics. And it's not just the eye test. The numbers are ugly. Put him in a lineup next to Booker and Green, and you've got three perimeter defenders made of warm butter. That's not a Big 3, that's a Big Mistake. Let's stop pretending the Booker/Beal/Kevin Durant trio was ever built to last. That experiment was doomed from day one. You can't run two dynamic scoring guards next to a 36-year-old power forward who can't defend, can't facilitate, and needs the ball in his hands to function. Durant's presence didn't unlock Booker and Beal. It choked the life out of the offense. Instead of movement and flow, we got ISO after ISO while the rest of the team stood around like they were waiting in line at the DMV. Defensively? A disaster. KD couldn't stay in front of wings, couldn't fight through screens, and didn't rotate fast enough to clean up mistakes. He wasn't a floor-raiser; he was a traffic cone with a jump shot. And in the playoffs (lord forbid if we had made it), that kind of lineup gets cooked. We saw it happen so often that we missed the playoffs completely. Ben Simmons, on the other hand? He's a 6'10' defensive cheat code. A three-time All-Star, a 2020 All-NBA Third Team member, a two-time All-NBA Defensive Team honoree, and one of the best perimeter-and-post switch defenders we've seen this decade. He can still clamp 1 through 4 on defense, crash the boards, and — when he's healthy — push in transition like a freight train with elite passing vision. And look, the Suns don't need him to be All-NBA Ben again. They need Phoenix Version Simmons: chilled-out, Zen desert Ben. Just facilitate, defend, and vibe. Let's Talk Fit — Because It's Actually Perfect The Suns' lineup is suddenly fascinating. Here's what a starting five could look like with Simmons running the point: Offensive Lineup PG: Ben Simmons SG: Devin Booker SG: Jalen Green SF: Brooks/Dunn C: Mark Williams Defensive Matchups PF: Ben Simmons SG: Devin Booker PG: Jalen Green SF: Brooks/Dunn C: Mark Williams It's not traditional. But you know what, neither is two shooting guards, and it makes sense in this lineup! Simmons gives the Suns the ability to actually get away with running two scoring guards in Booker and Green because he's the defensive glue and primary table-setter. A Soft Landing Spot for a Complicated Career Let's not sugarcoat it, Simmons' career has taken a hit. Between back issues, confidence struggles, and the ruthless pressure cooker that is the New York media (and, before that, the brutal Philly market), Ben's been through the wringer. He needs a market that isn't dissecting his every move. He needs fans who aren't booing him for passing out of a dunk. He needs Phoenix. This is the place where he can quietly get healthy, mentally and physically. Where expectations are measured. Where the team isn't asking him to do what he can't do — just lean into what he still does better than almost anyone else: defend and distribute. Ben Simmons isn't washed. He's just miscast. And in Phoenix, he might finally find the right script. The Bottom Line On most teams, Ben Simmons is a weird fit. But on the Suns, he's oddly perfect. We don't need him to shoot. We need him to defend wings and bigs, lead the break, and deliver dimes to two elite scoring guards. His weaknesses aren't exposed here — they're covered. So maybe it's time to stop laughing at the idea of Simmons in purple and orange… and start asking: What if we're the team that figures him out? Would you take a chance on Simmons in the desert? Drop your thoughts in the comments — but be nice. Ben's already had enough Philly in his life. Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, or Castbox. Please subscribe, rate, and review. More from Recap: Denver Nuggets Hold Off Phoenix Suns 120-104 The Dudley Double: Suns forward will match your donations to Bright Side Night! What the heck are the Phoenix Suns doing on offense? Locked On Suns Tuesday: Should we start to worry about Devin Booker's shooting? Gamethread: Suns take on the Nuggets Jared Dudley emerges as the Phoenix Suns' new sixth man
