Marcus Smart is joining his former team’s historical rival.
The former Boston Celtics standout has agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers once he clears waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Saturday. The second year of the deal is a player option.
Lakers star Luka Dončić reportedly reached out to Smart and recruited him to the team.
Smart split last season with the Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies, who traded for him two offseasons ago in the deal that landed Kristaps Porzingis in Boston. The 31-year-old guard had previously been the longest-tenured player on the Celtics, with nine years of experience, and earned the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021-22.
Injuries hobbled Smart throughout the 2024-25 season, though, playing only 34 games in primarily a bench role. His trade to the Wizards was a salary dump and he was still facing a $21.6 million cap hit for next season, which the Wizards are likely eating most of.
What can Marcus Smart be on the Lakers?
Smart joining the Lakers might be conflicting for some Celtics fans, but he is also joining a team that could definitely use his services when healthy.
The Lakers have been mostly quiet this offseason. Their only notable move was signing DeAndre Ayton, another buyout player, to a two-year, $16.6 million deal to give Dončić the lob threat he was clearly lacking last season. They also signed bench player Jake LaRavia and re-signed former starting center Jaxson Hayes, but lost Dorian Finney-Smith, a key member of their defense last season.
Constructed as they were entering Saturday, the Lakers had a roster that definitely skewed more toward the offensive side. Smart figures to help out there in a bench role on a backcourt headlined by Dončić and Austin Reaves, but comes with significant risk given his age and injury history. The fit makes sense, both in personnel and each side’s respective goals.
Smart wants a championship ring after his old teammates won one without him in 2024. The Lakers give him the chance to win one with Dončić and LeBron James. The Lakers needed cheap veteran talent to supplement a roster with limited options for improvement. Smart gives them a respected veteran with years of experience as a defensive menace.
The Lakers face larger questions around their future, most notably how long James will be staying around, but at least for this season they’ve definitely added some help.
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