Smart path to the Lakers began with heartbreak, and a call from Doncic

It’s going to take some getting used to – Marcus Smart in a Lakers jersey. But it’s official: the 31-year-old is heading to Los Angeles after the team freed up its bi-annual exception – $10.5 million over two years – by waiving two non-guaranteed deals (Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin). Drafted sixth overall by the Celtics in 2014 – just one pick before the Lakers selected Julius Randle – Smart spent nine seasons in Boston before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023.

Once considered an emotional cornerstone of the Celtics, he departed just as the team made its final push for a championship – which they won in 2024, without him.

Boston to LA: a Smart move

Now, after stops in Memphis and Washington, Smart arrives in L.A. battered by injuries and out of the spotlight, far from the defensive fury that once defined his career. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the trade out of Boston “broke his heart as a professional” and deeply affected his time in Memphis, where he had little desire to play. The Lakers, in contrast, represent the opposite: a shot at redemption, a return to high-stakes basketball, and the chance to compete alongside LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

This is the hand they’ve dealt themselves – unless a new trade appears on the horizon, which seems less likely now than closer to the winter deadline. After using their non-taxpayer midlevel exception on Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, the Lakers are brushing up against the first apron – just $1.1 million under the cap ceiling, which means they can’t even add another minimum deal without making a move. Rumors will keep swirling. Tradeable contracts include the $11.5 million each for Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, $11 million for Maxi Kleber, and a young shooter in Dalton Knecht, who underwhelmed in Summer League – especially for a second-year player.

But for now, it’s Doncic, LeBron, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura – and a new trio of Ayton, LaRavia and Smart. They’re also hoping for internal growth from Knecht, Bronny James and rookie Adou Thiero. Meanwhile, expectations are modest for their middle-tier rotation players: Vincent, Kleber, Vanderbilt, even Jaxson Hayes, who’s back on a near-minimum deal.

Smart, for his part, knows what’s expected. At his introductory press conference, he shared the moment things changed: “When someone like Luka Dončić calls you and asks where your head’s at, how you’re doing, and tells you he wants you to be part of something special they’re building… it meant a lot. To hear him say I could really help them – that was everything.”

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is expected to become the team’s new point-of-attack bulldog – something they’ve lacked since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left. And he’s clear on his mission: “Just be me. That’s it. Show up and do what I’ve always done. Be a tenacious defender, bring my energy, my leadership, my feel for the game… and, above all, be the pest I’ve always been.”

The Texas-born guard already sounds like a Laker: “Winning here is the pinnacle. It’s why we play, why we compete the way we do – to win titles. And there’s no better place to do that than here, where the show begins and ends. Being back at that level, in that spotlight, on a team that has a real role for me – it’s a perfect fit. There are a lot of reasons to choose the Lakers, but the biggest one is the chance to play with LeBron and Luka – two of the best, two of the smartest minds we’ve seen in our era of basketball.”

He’ll have to suit up at TD Garden in purple and gold: “I’m expecting a lot of boos, a lot of hate – but that’s okay, I’ll understand.”

As for expectations: “I think we’re right there with the best teams in the West. We can compete with anyone. Our ceiling is high – in fact, I don’t think we have one. If we all stay focused and do our part, we’ve got a real shot at winning. I’m motivated. These last two years have been disappointing, the injuries held me back. But I always tell my wife, my family – everything happens for a reason. Funny how, twelve years ago, I could’ve been drafted by the Lakers… and now here I am.”

• A busy summer for the LA Lakers in the transactions department

Smart arrives with a defined role, a locker room voice, and the seal of approval from Dončić – a sign that means more than ever right now, with August 2 approaching. That’s the first day Luka can sign his extension with the Lakers.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the vibes are good: “You can’t fully judge the Lakers’ summer until we see whether Luka signs that extension. The team’s going to Slovenia, they’ll be at EuroBasket… he’s spent time recently with Jeanie Buss. He doesn’t look like someone planning to leave in 2026.” MacMahon agrees, pointing to Luka’s recruitment of Smart: “If he’s this active over the bi-annual exception and part of the midlevel… imagine what he’ll do once the Lakers have max cap space.”

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