Marcus Smart Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Hachimura, Thiero, Game Ball, LeBron, AD

November 16th, 2025 at 8:28am CST by Rory Maher

Rui Hachimura missed his first game of the season on Saturday in Milwaukee due to a sore left calf, an issue Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the starting forward had been dealing with “all week,” writes Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

“With a back-to-back, probably just smart to hold him out,” Redick said. “But I don’t think it will be a lingering thing. We’ll miss him. It feels like every game I’m coaching, it’s this way. So, nothing changes.”

Marcus Smart (viral illness) was also ruled out of Saturday’s game, with Bronny James and Jake LaRavia sliding into the starting lineup. It was James’ first start of the season and second of his career, Price notes. The 2024 second-round pick has been part of the rotation amid backcourt injuries this fall, though he only played 10 minutes against the Bucks, below his season average of 11.9 MPG.

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Rookie forward Adou Thiero made his NBA debut in Saturday’s lopsided win, recording four points and one rebound in a little under five minutes of action. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, while the outcome of the game was never in question, there was a minor controversy after the final buzzer ended. Jarred Vanderbilt was holding the game ball to give it to Thiero for scoring his first career points, but apparently crew chief Pat Fraher had other plans, as he took the ball from Vanderbilt and gave it to a Bucks team attendant, telling players it belonged to Milwaukee. “[Fraher] said he’s going to write me up,” Vanderbilt told ESPN. “I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. These refs, they just want to have their power or something, I don’t know. I don’t know what he was reaching for. That’s been a thing since way before I was in the league. What, was he going to take the ball home or something?“
According to McMenamin, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo intervened at center court, taking the ball from the attendant and handing it to Luka Doncic, who presented the ball to Thiero in the Lakers’ locker room. “At first I didn’t realize it was all for me,” said Thiero, who was selected No. 36 overall in June’s draft. “But I’m very thankful for this team. I think that shows how connected we are and how much we want each other to succeed.”
LeBron James, who practiced two times with the team’s G League affiliate in recent days, could make his season debut as soon as Tuesday, McMenamin adds. The 40-year-old star has been recovering from sciatica on his right side.
Before sending him to Dallas in February as part of the Doncic blockbuster, the Lakers quietly gauged trade interest in Anthony Davis last December, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Siegel hears those December conversations centered around the possibility of dealing Davis during the 2025 offseason, not before the February trade deadline, but obviously things changed when the Lakers were presented with the opportunity to acquire Doncic.

Marcus Smart Says Grizzlies’ Downturn Was Predictable

November 15th, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marcus Smart‘s disappointing year-and-a-half with the Grizzlies ended with a trade to Washington in February, and he’s not surprised by the chaos the franchise has undergone since he left. In an interview with Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints, Smart said there were clear indications that a breakdown was coming.

“Way better. You see what’s going on now,” Smart said. “That started with me. I came back from injury, and I got traded because they said I didn’t want to be there. I’m injured. What do you mean, I don’t want to be here? I’m here every day working my ass off, cheering. I’m the only one on the bench coaching, but you know how it is. Control what you can control.”

Smart only appeared in 19 games with the Grizzlies last year — and 39 total during his time with the franchise — before being shipped to the Wizards. A few weeks after he left, the team fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games left in the regular season, replacing him with assistant Tuomas Iisalo, and was swept out of the playoffs in the first round.

This season is off to a disastrous start as Memphis fell to 4-10 after losing Saturday in Cleveland. Iisalo’s unorthodox substitution patterns haven’t been popular with players, and they led to a rift with star guard Ja Morant that resulted in a one-game suspension.

Although his time in Memphis didn’t work out well, Smart stated that he doesn’t harbor any animosity toward the organization.

“I wish nothing but the best for them. Those guys — they work their ass off,” he added. “But you could definitely see this coming, and now, this is what you get.”

The Grizzlies were among the top teams in the West for most of last season and were still in the race to host a playoff series when Jenkins was dismissed. However, they stumbled down the stretch and finished as the No. 8 seed, which required them to go through the play-in tournament. They lost to Golden State before beating Dallas to claim the West’s final playoff spot.

Smart said there were plenty of warning signs before he was traded that things were about to go badly.

“You could see it. Even when I was there, me and (current Lakers teammate) Jake (LaRavia),” he said. “You could see just how they were handling things, going about things. And it’s unfortunate — you’ve got some good talent over there. It’s unfortunate. Hopefully, they can get it together.”

Lakers Notes: Bronny, Reaves, Offense, Vincent

November 8th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers‘ injury woes are providing an opportunity for Bronny James, who’s seeing regular minutes for the first time in his career, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. The second-year shooting guard was on the court for 18 and 19 minutes in back-to-back wins over Miami and Portland earlier this week and made an impact in the fourth quarter of both games. He contributed three steals against the Heat and had six assists with no turnovers against the Trail Blazers.

“Ready to take advantage of the times that I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I’m going to stay aggressive.”

Coach JJ Redick attributes James’ improvement to his ability to adjust to the speed of the NBA game. Redick wants his players to determine whether they’re going to shoot, dribble or pass within a half-second of receiving the ball, and James wasn’t ready as a rookie to make those quick decisions.

“He’s now developed where he’s got a great point-five mentality,” Redick said. “He’s catch-and-shoot ready at all times.”

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Austin Reaves missed his third straight game on Saturday, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out of action much longer, Nguyen adds in the same piece. Medical imaging revealed that he has a mild right groin strain, but Reddick told reporters that Reaves’ pain level is “really low.” Nguyen states that Reaves plans to play golf during the five-game road trip and he could be back in action before the Lakers return home.
Khobi Price of The Orange County Register examines how the offense has been able to succeed despite the absence of LeBron James, who remains sidelined with sciatica. Luka Doncic (40 PPG) and Reaves (31.1) have led the attack, but the Lakers can also rely on scoring depth, with Deandre Ayton (17.5), Rui Hachimura (16.7), Jake LaRavia (12.1) and Marcus Smart (10.3) all averaging in double figures.
Redick said Gabe Vincent is making progress in his recovery from a sprained left ankle that has sidelined him since October 26, Price tweets. Vincent hasn’t done any contact work yet, but Redick is hoping his two- to four-week recovery timeline is closer to three weeks.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Luka, Ayton, Smart, Harding

November 6th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Rory Maher

LeBron James is reportedly gearing up to play five-on-five. The 40-year-old superstar’s 2025/26 season debut has been delayed by sciatica on his right side.

According to the Lakers, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has been cleared for contact work and will be reevaluated in one-to-two weeks (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group).

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The team recorded an impressive victory on Wednesday against San Antonio despite missing James and Austin Reaves (right groin soreness), writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Luka Doncic had a poor shooting night, but still finished with game highs of 35 points, 13 assists and five steals (he also contributed nine rebounds and two blocks).
Perhaps more importantly, Deandre Ayton (22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and zero turnovers) outdueled Victor Wembanyama (19 points on 5-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block, and five turnovers before fouling out) in the battle of former No. 1 overall picks, Murray notes. “That’s something I’ve been wanting to show, especially to my coaching staff as well,” Ayton said of his defense. “And they trust me to really go out there and guard one or two dribbles before my help come. And yeah, I’ll be good, comfortable out there. I know my help coming, so I’m straight.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart nearly blew the game after committing a careless turnover in the final seconds, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Smart stepped on the end line as he attempted to make an inbounds pass. “To have that call at the end of the game, 1.2 [seconds], we got a guy wide open, all he’s got to do is catch it and the ballgame is over,” Smart said. “It’s kind of crazy, but as a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. I take full ownership of it. My teammates understand. They are going to joke with me. They are going to let me hear about it. But it will never happen again.”
Within an in-depth story for ESPN.com, McMenamin writes that Lakers assistant coach Lindsey Harding aspires to be the first female head coach in NBA history. Governor Jeanie Buss believes Harding has all the tools for the job. “She’s a professional, she knows the game, she is a great communicator, she brings a level of energy, positivity. She is just great,” Buss told ESPN. “I’m just thrilled that she is part of our staff. But I understand if people are going to try to pick her off because she’s just that good.”

Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, Ayton, Kleber, LaRavia, Smart

November 3rd, 2025 at 4:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guards Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion injury management) and Austin Reaves (right groin soreness) have been ruled out for Monday’s contest in Portland, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays.

It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Los Angeles, which defeated Miami on Sunday to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Doncic missed three games last week due to the leg injury as well as a left finger sprain. This will be his fourth missed game.

As for Reaves, this will be his first absence of the 2025/26 campaign. A source tells Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the 27-year-old played through the groin issue on Sunday and the team is hopeful that it isn’t serious.

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Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the second half of Friday’s win over Memphis and all of Sunday’s contest due to back spasms, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. “He’s still dealing with some tightness and spasms in that mid-back,” head coach JJ Redick said before Sunday’s game. The Bahamian big man is questionable vs. Portland, McMenamin notes, as is Maxi Kleber, who could make his season debut on Monday after missing the first seven games with an strained abdominal muscle.
After a slow start over his first four games (6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .348/.333/.556 shooting), free agent addition Jake LaRavia has been scorching hot in the past three contests, averaging 21.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 2.7 SPG on .781/.667/.583 shooting. Redick was effusive in his praise of the 6’8″ forward after Sunday’s win, saying he “just knows how to play,” as Dan Woike of The Athletic writes. “He just has a really good feel,” Redick said of LaRavia. “His knack for the basketball as a defender. His knack for the basketball as a rebounder. He just has a real intuitive feel for the game.”
According to Jillian Adge of The Kings Herald (Twitter link), the Kings were determined to keep LaRavia in free agency but were outbid by the Lakers — Sacramento was limited to offering the 24-year-old a starting salary of $5.16MM in 2025/26 after Memphis declined his fourth-year option last fall, while L.A. was able to exceed that figure ($6MM this season and next). Matt George of ABC 10 confirms (via Twitter) the Kings wanted to re-sign LaRavia and were confident they’d be able to, but the extra money — and LaRavia’s close relationship with Reaves — made signing with the Lakers an “easy” call for the former first-round pick.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart, another free agent addition, had a solid all-around performance on Sunday, finishing with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. He also made several “momentum-changing hustle plays,” according to Price. “Unbelievable impact,” Doncic said of Smart. “I’ve played against this guy a lot. He was always guarding me, so I know how it feels for the other team. I’m glad he’s on my team, and the impact he has [is] unbelievable. He’s been hustling every game, every moment, every minute, every second.”

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup

November 1st, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

In his return to action on Friday, Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic reached heights only achieved by Wilt Chamberlain. Doncic scored 44 points in a win over Memphis, becoming the only player in NBA history other than Chamberlain to top 40 points in three straight games to begin his season.

Doncic had missed the previous three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when told about joining Chamberlain that category, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”

By averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span. He doesn’t see himself keeping up the 4o-per game pace throughout a whole season.

“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. … I’ve got to work on that. But that’s tough. I don’t know.”

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After missing two games due to a quad contusion, Marcus Smart contributed 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals on Friday. “He was great,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “The main point about physicality, I think he, along with a couple other guys, but he’s gotta be the leader of the physicality. He’s gotta set the tone and there were a lot of moments where he did that. But it made a big difference and then he just played really good on the offensive end, made some timely shots for us.”
Starting center Deandre Ayton didn’t play in the second half after experiencing back spasms. Redick said Ayton was available to play in the fourth quarter, but didn’t want to “risk it,” according to Price.
Austin Reaves averaged 40 points during the three games Doncic missed. He had a season-low 21 points against Memphis and was disappointed with his 5-of-14 shooting performance. “His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out and he has 15 in the first, we’re going to score, I would assume, 30 (points),” Reaves said of Doncic. “Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was (Friday).”
The Lakers’ win on Friday was the first of four NBA Cup group play games. Their other matchups are at the Pelicans on Nov. 14, at home vs. the Clippers on Nov. 25 and at home vs. the Mavericks on Nov. 28, Price notes. “It’s my little taste of an All-Star Game,” Ayton said. “It feels like that’s when everybody [is] watching, and everybody playing their hardest. Dudes are playing extremely hard. It feels like playoff games, the fans are super into it.”

Injury Notes: Luka, Giannis, Young, Holmgren, Beal, Sixers

October 30th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past three games with finger and leg injuries, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup at Memphis, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group relays.

It has been five days since the Lakers stated that the Slovenian guard would be reevaluated in about a week, though Price notes the actual left finger sprain occurred a week ago vs. Minnesota. Head coach JJ Redick said ahead of Wednesday’s win that the swelling in Doncic’s finger had subsided somewhat.

Free agent addition Marcus Smart, who has missed the past two games with a quadriceps contusion, is also questionable for Friday’s contest, Price adds.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Superstar Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was a surprise scratch on Thursday against Golden State after being listed as probable in the lead-up to the game, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Despite being down their best player, the Bucks defeated the Warriors behind a career night from guard Ryan Rollins, who finished with 32 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), eight assists and five rebounds, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. As ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter), it was a revenge game of sorts for Rollins, who was drafted by and later traded by Golden State. The former second-round pick had a big game on Tuesday as well, recording 25 points (on 8-of-11 shooting), four assists and four steals in 26 minutes.
Star point guard Trae Young will be sidelined for Friday’s game in Indiana due to a right knee sprain, the Hawks announced (via Twitter). Young was reportedly scheduled to undergo an MRI today after he exited Wednesday’s game with the injury, which occurred late in the first quarter when a teammate was pushed and fell into his knee (Twitter video link).
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was off to an excellent start this season before lower back soreness sidelined him for both Tuesday’s win vs. Sacramento and Thursday’s victory over Washington. Head coach Mark Daigneault said there are no long-term concerns with Holmgren’s back issue, per Jeff Patterson and Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). “He’s where he should be,” Daigneault said before Thursday’s game. “We’re being conservative with him. If he was, obviously, perfect he would play tonight. But we’ll go through the process that we always go through.”
After missing the past two games with a sore back, Clippers guard Bradley Beal will be active for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Beal opened the season on a minutes restriction due to offseason knee surgery.
Although Jared McCain (thumb surgery) and Paul George (knee surgery) participated in the Sixers‘ practice on Thursday, both players will remain sidelined for Friday’s matchup against Boston, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). In case you missed it, the 76ers picked up McCain’s third-year option on Thursday.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Hayes, Smart, Thiero, Reaves, Ayton

October 29th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no firm timetable for LeBron James to resume playing, but Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters before Wednesday’s game that it will likely be during the second or third week of November, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). That confirms a report two weeks ago from ESPN’s Shams Charania, who pegged mid-November as the most likely time for James to return.

James is expected to be reevaluated later this week to determine how much progress he’s made in his bout with sciatica. He reportedly began experiencing the nerve condition during the summer and it affected him through the start of training camp.

Redick also provided an update on Luka Doncic, who is missing his third straight game tonight with a finger sprain and leg contusion. Redick said they hope to have Doncic back in the next “couple of games,” adding that his left hand has gone from twice its normal size to about one and a half times the size it should be (Twitter link). Doncic is considered day-to-day, but he’s not with the team on its current road trip, which ends Friday at Memphis.

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Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for tonight’s game after missing the past three contests with soreness in his left knee, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hayes played 14 minutes in the opener for his only action this season. Marcus Smart is missing his second straight game with a right quad contusion.
The Lakers announced that Adou Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). The next step is 5-on-5 activities, which will begin soon at practice with the NBA team and the G League South Bay Lakers. The rookie forward is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in college.
The absences of James and Doncic has forced Austin Reaves into a larger ball-handling role, and he’s formed an instant chemistry with Deandre Ayton, Price states in a full story. Along with his 92 points over the past two games, Reaves has handed out 14 assists, many of them to Ayton as a pick-and-roll partner. “He’s been awesome,” Reaves said. “He’s been very receptive to listening to not only what I have to say, Luka, Bron, the front office, coaches, he’s been very locked into everything that we’ve told him. And then take everything that we told him, but on the back end of that, we give him a voice. We ask him what he wants, what he likes and try to make that work together. Four games in, I feel like he’s continued to build on that, and it’s been very, very good.”

Lakers’ Gabe Vincent Out 2-4 Weeks With Ankle Injury

October 27th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is expected to be sidelined for approximately two-to-four weeks after undergoing an MRI on his left ankle, sources tell Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

NBA insider Chris Haynes reports (via Twitter) that Vincent, who started each of the Lakers’ first three games before sustaining the injury on Sunday, has a “slight ligament tear” as well as sprained ligaments in the ankle.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), Vincent was wearing a walking boot and using crutches ahead of Monday’s game vs. Portland.

The 29-year-old was limited to just 11 games due to a knee injury in his first season with the Lakers after signing a three-year, $33MM deal with Los Angeles in the 2023 offseason. He was much healthier last season (72 games), and was a rotation regular (21.2 minutes per contest) for head coach JJ Redick, averaging 6.4 points while shooting 35.3% from long distance and playing solid defense.

Vincent won a starting job to open ’25/26 after a four-game preseason slate in which he averaged 16.3 PPG and shot 55.6% from three in 22.3 MPG. The hot shooting hasn’t carried over to the regular season yet, as he was 2-of-10 from deep in three games.

Marcus Smart (right quad contusion) was also out Monday for the Lakers, who had a total of seven players unable to suit up, most notably Luka Doncic (finger, leg injuries) and LeBron James (right sciatica), tweets Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

Vincent is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $11.5MM in ’25/26. He will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Lineup, Hayes, James

October 25th, 2025 at 8:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic is already hearing MVP chants from the home fans, and with good reason. The Lakers star guard has racked up 92 points in the team’s first two games — the most by a player in consecutive games to begin a season in team history, Dan Woike of The Athletic notes. Doncic scored 49 points in 35 minutes in a win over the Timberwolves on Friday.

“He, of course, dominates the whole game so easily,” forward Rui Hachimura told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And it’s not some random team we played against. They’re a Western Conference Finals team. So this is crazy.”

Minnesota knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs last season but Doncic didn’t have revenge on his mind.

“I just want to forget about last season,” he said. “I was trying to move on. I don’t really think about that first-round series.”

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Marcus Smart signed a two-year contract in July after being bought out by the Wizards. He showed his worth on Friday with his defense and energy, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times writes. Smart had just three points and zero rebounds in 21 minutes, but the Lakers outscored Minnesota by 24 points during his time on the floor. “Unfortunately my stats aren’t going to do me any justice, so I try not to worry about it,” Smart said. “I just try to go out there, and like I said, do what I’m supposed to do, and help my teammates out the best way I can. Being plus-24 is great and everything and it definitely shows the impact that can be made without touching the ball, scoring the ball, shooting the ball.”
Coach JJ Redick has used the same starting five in the first two games, deploying Deandre Ayton, Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves and Hachimura, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Dalton Knecht was also in the first-half rotation after being a DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) in the team’s opener.
Jaxson Hayes was ruled out on Friday because of left knee soreness, Price adds. Hayes played 14 minutes in the opener against Golden State.
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones allegedly gave gamblers inside information regarding LeBron James‘ availability for a couple of games during the 2022/23 season. James, according to Woike and The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, was unaware that someone he considered a friend was tipping information about him and the Lakers for betting purposes.