Give an assist to Luka Doncic a few months before the season starts.
Marcus Smart praised Doncic for bringing him to Los Angeles during his first press conference with the Lakers on Tuesday.
“When you have a guy like Luka reaching out… checking in on you, wanting to know if you’d like to join something special he’s building here,” Smart shared. “For him to say that he could really use my help meant a lot.”
Smart, who went through waivers after agreeing to leave the Washington Wizards, signed a two-year deal worth $11 million with the Lakers, as sources told ESPN earlier. To sign Smart, 31, for more than the veteran’s minimum salary, L.A. released guards Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to use the biannual exception.
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time member of the All-Defense first team will need to step up as a point-of-attack defender on the perimeter for the Lakers after Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets during free agency.
With 108 playoff games played—tying him with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley for the 18th most among active players—his experience will be valuable for a relatively new Lakers team that traded for Doncic in February and is now coached by JJ Redick, who is starting his second season.
And they also have LeBron James, who holds the record for the most postseason games ever played.
“When asked about his role on the team, Smart replied, ‘I just want to be myself. I’ll come in and do what I do best: being a tough defender, bringing my usual intensity, showing leadership, and using my basketball smarts. I want to continue being that pesky player I’ve always been.'”
Doncic’s strong interest in having Smart join him is definitely a positive sign of his commitment to the franchise. He has two years remaining on his contract with L.A., which includes an option for 2026-27. However, starting August 2, the Lakers can offer him a four-year extension worth $222 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Smart is one of four new players joining the team this offseason; he joins center Deandre Ayton and forward Jake LaRavia, who were both signed as free agents, along with second-round draft pick Adou Thiero.
Last season, L.A. won 50 games and secured the No. 3 seed in the competitive Western Conference before losing to the Timberwolves in five games during the first round of playoffs.
Smart mentioned that Los Angeles is ready to compete in the Western Conference. The 2025-26 season looks to be tough, with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and improved teams like the Denver Nuggets and Rockets presenting strong challenges, among others.
“I believe we are right up there with the best teams,” Smart stated. “I think we can compete. Our potential is high—maybe even limitless. If we all focus and do our part, we really have a great chance at success.”
After spending the first nine years of his career with the Boston Celtics, the team that picked him No. 6 in the 2014 draft (when L.A. worked him out before choosing Julius Randle at No. 7), Smart has only played 54 games over the last two seasons for Washington and the Memphis Grizzlies due to injuries.
“I’m very driven,” Smart mentioned. “To me, the last two years were disappointing. Injuries held me back from playing my best. But as I told my wife and family, everything happens for a reason. It’s interesting that 12 years ago I could have been here, and now it feels like I’ve come full circle.”
