New Laker Marcus Smart Has ‘Lot Left In The Tank’
Marcus Smart has only played 54 out of a possible 164 games since the Celtics traded him to Memphis two years ago. Smart, who signed a two-year, $11MM deal with the Lakers on Tuesday after reaching a buyout agreement with the Wizards, believes his injury woes are behind him.
“I still have a lot left in the tank,” Smart said during a Tuesday press conference, as relayed by The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
The Lakers used their bi-annual exception, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin confirms, to sign Smart for more than the veteran’s minimum. Smart calls the last two seasons of his career a “disappointment.”
“I’m very motivated,” Smart said. “The last two years for me was, in my eyes, a disappointment. Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back. But, like I told my wife and my family, everything happens for a reason. And it’s funny that 12 years ago, I could have been here and now it’s full circle and I’m here.”
The Celtics drafted him with the No. 6 overall pick in 2014, one spot before the Lakers — who worked out Smart — chose Julius Randle. Smart is energized by the opportunity to play for a team that he believes can win the championship next season.
“I think we stack right up there with the best of them,” Smart said. “And I think we can [compete]. Our ceiling is high. I think there’s no ceiling. I think if we all lock in and come and do what we’re supposed to do, we can have a real good shot at it.”
Luka Doncic was instrumental in convincing Smart to join the Lakers. Smart is expected to get steady minutes backing up Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“When you get a guy like Luka calling… checking on you, trying to see where you’re at, to see if you want to come join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here,” Smart said. “For him to say that he can really use my help, that meant a lot.”
The Lakers were in need of a perimeter defender and Smart, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, fits the bill.
“Just to be me,” Smart said of how he’ll impact the team. “Come in and do what I do and that’s [being] a tenacious defender, just bringing the intensity that I bring, my leadership, my basketball IQ, as well. But just being the pest that I’ve always been.”
Marcus Smart Officially Signs With Lakers
Marcus Smart has officially joined the Lakers. The team announced the signing of the veteran guard in a press release.
“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the statement. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games. He knows and understands playoff winning and will be a key leadership voice in our group.
“Surrounding our stars with two-way players like Marcus is critical to our overall vision of how we want to play and win next season. This is an exciting player acquisition, for sure.”
Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards over the weekend and was placed on waivers. At that time, it was reported that the combo guard had decided to join the Lakers. Smart’s new contract is worth roughly $10.5MM over two years and includes a player option for the second season.
Smart, who gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, could back up both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and will boost his new team with his leadership, ball-handling and defensive prowess.
Smart, 31, has battled health problems over the past two seasons. He was named Defensive Player of the Year with Boston in 2022, but his career took a downturn after a trade to Memphis in the summer of 2023. A wide swath of injuries limited him to 39 total games in a year and a half with the Grizzlies before he was sent to Washington in a three-team deal at this year’s trade deadline.
He appeared in 19 games with Memphis and 15 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes per night with .393/.348/.761 shooting numbers.
Wizards Save $8MM+ With Smart, Wesley Buyouts
The Wizards‘ recent buyout agreements with guards Marcus Smart and Blake Wesley have reduced the team’s salary by more than $8MM.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, Smart gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, while Wesley forfeited roughly $1.38MM of his $4.73MM salary. In total, the two players now count toward the Wizards’ cap for $18,134,313 instead of $26,313,184.
Smart is set to sign a two-year, $10.5MM deal with the Lakers once he clears waivers. It’s unclear where Wesley will land next, but he likely wouldn’t have given up a portion of his salary unless he was confident about having another opportunity lined up.
[UPDATE: Trail Blazers, Blake Wesley Agree To One-Year Deal]
The Wizards won’t technically create any cap room as a result of the moves, since they’re still operating as an over-the-cap team. But their salary for cap purposes is now down to approximately $153.8MM, which is more than $34MM below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM). They also have nearly $39MM in flexibility below the first tax apron ($195.95MM) after accounting for Khris Middleton‘s $3.22MM in unlikely incentives.
The cap savings created by the Smart and Wesley buyouts will put the Wizards in an even better position to become a facilitator in trades during the rest of the 2025 offseason and into the 2025/26 regular season.
Clubs around the NBA who are looking to shed salary or who need a third team to take on a contract to make a trade work will likely make the Wizards’ front office one of their first calls. Washington would presumably be willing to accommodate that sort of deal if sweeteners such as draft assets or a promising young prospect are attached.
The Wizards still have their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM), along with two trade exceptions worth $13.45MM and $9.9MM. While they wouldn’t be able to combine those exceptions to acquire a player earning more than $14.1MM, they could use all three separately to trade for players whose salaries fit within the limits.
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Vanderbilt, Kleber, More
“External fretting” about whether or not Luka Doncic will make a long-term commitment to the Lakers has subsided significantly in recent weeks, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), who says the star guard and his camp have worked closely with the front office this summer as it has bolstered the roster in free agency.
As previously reported, Doncic played a major role in the Lakers’ efforts to recruit both center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart to Los Angeles. According to Stein, Doncic’s pitch to Smart “particularly resonated” with the former Defensive Player of the Year, who ultimately chose the Lakers despite the division-rival Suns making a “determined push” to land him.
As of August 2, Doncic will be eligible to sign an extension that could be worth up to a projected $222.4MM over four years. While there’s no guarantee he’ll sign for the maximum four years or that he’ll get a deal done immediately on Aug. 2, it seems increasingly likely that the five-time All-Star will have a new extension in hand before the 2025/26 season begins, as reporting over the weekend indicated.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Like Doncic, Smart has been working hard this offseason on his body and his conditioning, according to Stein, who writes that the Lakers are optimistic about getting a “sleeker” version of the 31-year-old next season after he battled health issues over the past couple years.
- Stein has also heard that forward Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point during the 2024/25 season. Although both players were on last season’s roster, healthy versions of Vanderbilt and big man Maxi Kleber could feel sort of like offseason additions for the Lakers, Stein writes. Vanderbilt played a very limited role in 36 regular season outings last season, while Kleber didn’t make his debut as a Laker until the playoffs — both of them missed time while recovering from foot surgery.
- People around the league believe Trail Blazers veterans Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams are potential trade targets to watch for the Lakers this season, according to Grant Afseth of Fast Break Journal. I’m skeptical of the Holiday fit, given that Los Angeles has shown no interest in taking on long-term money (Holiday is still owed $104.4MM over three years) and Portland was prepared to give up a pair of draft picks along with Anfernee Simons to acquire him (those two second-rounders ultimately weren’t included due to minor concerns about Holiday’s physical). However, if he proves he’s healthy, Williams might make some sense for the Lakers due to their limited depth behind Ayton in the middle.
- In case you missed it, the Lakers waived both Jordan Goodwin and Shake Milton on Sunday in order to create the cap flexibility necessary to sign Smart using their bi-annual exception.
Marcus Smart To Join Lakers After Buyout With Wizards
July 20: Smart has officially reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards and been placed on waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).
July 19: Marcus Smart has reached an agreement on a buyout with the Wizards and plans to join the Lakers once he clears waivers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Smart’s new contract will be worth $11MM over two years and will contain a player option for the second season.
Sources tell Charania that Luka Doncic played a large role in recruiting Smart to L.A. He adds that the Lakers, Suns and Bucks all received permission from Washington to contact Smart, and he had “positive conversations” with all three teams.
The Lakers can use their full bi-annual exception to add Smart, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). They’ll have to clear about $4.2MM in salary to have access to the full amount, which may mean parting with Shake Milton, who has a $3MM non-guaranteed salary, and Jordan Goodwin, who only has a $25K guarantee on his $2.35MM salary.
If that happens, L.A. wouldn’t have enough available apron space to sign a 15th man before the start of the season, as Gozlan notes (Twitter link).
Milton’s salary for 2025/26 will become fully guaranteed after Sunday, so the Lakers will have to act fast if they plan to waive him.
If Smart gives back the equivalent of the bi-annual exception in his buyout, the Wizards will be more than $30MM below the luxury tax, Gozlan adds. Washington has its full $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception remaining, along with $13.4MM and $9.9MM trade exceptions.
Smart, 31, was named Defensive Player of the Year with Boston in 2022, but his career took a downturn after a trade to Memphis in the summer of 2023. Injuries limited him to 39 total games in a year and a half with the Grizzlies before he was sent to Washington in a three-team deal at this year’s trade deadline.
If Smart can stay healthy, he’ll bring much-needed defensive help to the Lakers’ backcourt. He appeared in 19 games with Memphis and 15 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes per night with .393/.348/.761 shooting numbers.
The Wizards have added numerous young players to their roster this summer, so there likely wouldn’t have been regular playing time for Smart, who had a $21.6MM expiring contract. There were rumors last month that Smart was on the trade market, but the Wizards evidently couldn’t find a team willing to take on his salary.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Smart, Thomas, Bassey
Despite the Sixers‘ lottery luck that landed them prized rookie VJ Edgecombe, the team’s outlook hasn’t changed, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Everything still revolves around the health of Tyrese Maxey and especially Paul George and Joel Embiid.
That plan has already hit a snag with the announcement that George underwent knee surgery following an injury sustained during workouts, an injury that Pompey says has the potential to keep him sidelined through the start of the season, depending on how the rehab process goes.
Pompey adds that the offseason drama, which the Sixers are no stranger to in recent years, also includes a recent ESPN article about Embiid that cast an unnamed member of the roster into suspicion when Embiid claimed to know which teammate had leaked information about a players-only meeting last season.
Team president Daryl Morey is still expressing optimism about the coming season, including George’s ability to not only recover from the injury but also bounce back after a disappointing first season in Philadelphia.
“I know he really wants to show the Philadelphia fans what he can do,” Morey said. “He didn’t feel like he was able to do that last year. So I know he’s very optimistic and excited to get out there and show what he can do.”
We have more from around the Atlantic division:
- The Knicks checked in on Marcus Smart‘s availability and desire to join the team after it became clear that he would be bought out by the Wizards, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). Bondy notes that the conversations didn’t move forward, since Smart wanted a clearer pathway to major minutes than the Knicks could offer. Smart ultimately signed with the Lakers on a two-year, $11MM deal with a player option on the second year.
- Cam Thomas, who is currently a restricted free agent and attempting to secure a new deal with the Nets or another team, took umbrage at recent comments from The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, writes Net Income for NetsDaily.com. After an aggregator Twitter account relayed Lowe saying that there’s a consensus about Thomas being an “empty calories ball hog,” the guard responded. “F–k you and the consensus,” Thomas wrote to Lowe. “This is most likely the same consensus teams who can’t guard me and send double teams from jump ball.” Net Income notes that this comes after multiple less-than-positive summaries of Thomas’ value had emerged online in recent days, and that Thomas is likely to be particularly sensitive, as it has been speculated that there is little movement toward him receiving the kind of offer he’s looking for.
- Charles Bassey had a strong Summer League for the Celtics, who are very thin at center, but according to Brian Robb of MassLive, that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a spot for him on Boston’s roster. In a mailbag article, Robb writes that Bassey’s skill set overlaps with Neemias Queta‘s, and that Bassey’s play as a fifth-year player in Summer League might not be as convincing to the team as to fans. However, it has been widely reported that the Celtics are still pursuing a variety of trades before the season begins, so a deal that sends multiple players out could make room for Bassey to join the team on a guaranteed deal. Barring such a move, it’s more likely that Bassey lands a non-guaranteed training camp invitation, Robb writes.
Free Agent Notes: Giddey, Clippers, Knicks, Metu, Moore
Reports since last October have suggested that a salary of $30MM per year is a target for Josh Giddey and his representatives in their contract talks with the Bulls, and that number continues to be mentioned this summer. However, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (YouTube link) isn’t convinced that’s what it’ll take for the Bulls to get a deal done with the restricted free agent guard.
“Both the Bulls and Giddey want to get a deal done,” Johnson said (hat tip to Benedetto Vitale of Clutch Points). “The Bulls, knowing that the market is scarce and the restricted free agency market has very little movement…are playing the slow game here.
“I don’t have particular numbers, other than to say that Josh Giddey’s $30MM per year price tag – that’s been well documented in media and out there since last fall when the rookie contract extension was discussed – has not ever crossed my radar. I’ve never heard the Bulls mention that number. So I would not expect Josh Giddey to sign a $30MM (per year) deal.”
While Johnson refers to the situation as a “stalemate” for the time being, he stresses that negotiations haven’t been acrimonious and says he fully expects Giddey to be wearing a Bulls uniform next season.
Here’s more on free agency:
- The Clippers continue to be linked to guards Bradley Beal and Chris Paul and haven’t ruled out the possibility of adding both players, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). While Paul is currently a free agent, Beal will need to finalize a buyout with Phoenix before reaching the open market.
- The Knicks have one roster spot open for a veteran free agent and will likely target a guard, ideally one who can handle the ball, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Breaking down a few possible targets who might make sense for the Knicks, Bondy notes that the team has kept an eye on Marcus Smart in case he and the Wizards work out a buyout agreement.
- Former NBA big man Chimezie Metu is nearing a deal with the Turkish team Fenerbahce, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who says the plan is to finalize a one-year agreement if Metu’s medicals check out. The 28-year-old, who appeared in 260 NBA regular season games from 2018-24, tore his Achilles in March, so Fenerbahce wants to make sure his recovery is progressing as planned. Sources tell Urbonas that Metu is targeting a return to the court before the end of the year.
- After playing for the Spurs during the California Classic Summer League this past week, free agent guard Omari Moore has reached a contract agreement with Valencia, the Spanish team announced in a press release. According to Urbonas (Twitter link), Moore had received NBA interest but has decided to make the move to Spain rather than accepting a two-way contract offer.
Wizards Notes: Whitmore, Gill, Centers, Outlaw
The Wizards‘ acquisition of Cam Whitmore from the Rockets will be folded into a four-player trade with the Pelicans that was reported last month, a source tells Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (subscriber link). That deal sends Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the 40th pick in this year’s draft (Micah Peavy) to New Orleans in exchange for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round selection.
Combining the two trades into one will allow the Wizards to acquire Whitmore without using a separate trade exception or a portion of their mid-level or bi-annual exception.
Houston is trading Whitmore to a rebuilding team to give him a shot at increased playing time, but Shankar points out that it might be just as difficult for Whitmore to get on the court in Washington as it was during his two seasons with the Rockets. He views Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and lottery pick Tre Johnson as locks to be in the rotation.
Whitmore will have to compete with young prospects Will Riley, AJ Johnson, Justin Champagnie and Dillon Jones, along with McCollum and fellow veterans Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, Corey Kispert and Richaun Holmes.
Shankar also points out that Whitmore and Coulibaly were part of the same draft class in 2023, which means they’ll both be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.
There’s more from Washington:
- The Wizards waived Anthony Gill last weekend to avoid paying his $2.5MM salary for the upcoming season, but he’s likely to be brought back as the team’s 15th man, Josh Robbins of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. A new deal will be a win for both sides, Robbins explains, as the 32-year-old forward will earn about $121K more on a veteran’s minimum contract and the league’s reimbursement policy will cause Gill to have a smaller salary cap hit. Washington has a minor roster crunch as a result of its moves so far, so the team would have to make additional trades or cuts to make room on the regular season roster for Gill.
- The Wizards aren’t likely to pursue another center to join Sarr, Olynyk and Holmes, Robbins states in the same piece. Even though Washington ranked near the bottom of the league in defensive rebounding percentage, Robbins notes that there’s not a strong incentive to win this season because the team’s first-round draft pick will convey to New York if it falls out of the top eight. Robbins adds that the Wizards didn’t try to sign any big men when free agency began, and he doesn’t expect that stance to change unless Olynyk or Holmes gets traded.
- Assistant J.J. Outlaw will serve as the Wizards’ Summer League coach, team sources tell Robbins (Twitter link). Outlaw joined Brian Keefe’s coaching staff last July after five seasons in Cleveland.
Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Kennard, Capela, Lakers, Bulls, More
In their latest round-up of scuttlebutt ahead of the start of free agency on Monday, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reiterate or confirm a few of the rumors that have been percolating in recent days, writing that Dennis Schröder appears to be on track to join the Kings on a two-year deal worth the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, while D’Angelo Russell is widely expected to join the Mavericks on a two-year deal that utilizes the taxpayer mid-level.
Stein and Fischer also stress that the Grizzlies are increasingly regarded as the favorites to land free agent guard Ty Jerome, with rival teams expecting him to sign for a deal in the neighborhood of $9-10MM annually (Twitter link).
Additionally, Stein and Fischer confirm that the Rockets are now eyeing Luke Kennard in addition to Dorian Finney-Smith. Besides Houston, the Hawks and Nuggets are considered potential suitors for Kennard, one of the league’s best outside shooters, according to The Stein Line duo.
Here are a few more fresh pieces of intel from Stein and Fischer:
- The Clippers are viewed as a viable candidate to land free agent center Clint Capela. Los Angeles is known to be in the market for an Ivica Zubac backup, with Drew Eubanks not expected to return.
- If the Lakers end up losing Finney-Smith in free agency, they’re expected to express interest in another talented perimeter defender, De’Anthony Melton, Stein and Fischer report. Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) has also heard that there’s mutual interest between Melton and the Lakers. The veteran guard signed for the full non-taxpayer mid-level a year ago, but seems unlikely to land another deal in that range after missing nearly the entire season with a torn ACL.
- There’s a “strong expectation” that free agent point guard Tre Jones will remain with the Bulls, Stein and Fischer say. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network previously reported that the odds of a reunion between the two sides were rising following the team’s Lonzo Ball trade.
- The Bucks are working on potential Pat Connaughton trade scenarios and have a couple possible pathways to a deal, per Stein and Fischer. Milwaukee would likely have to attach a sweetener to move Connaughton, but perhaps could acquire a player in return who would upgrade the rotation.
- The Wizards have been gauging the trade market for a pair of veterans on expiring contracts, guard Marcus Smart and big man Kelly Olynyk, Stein and Fischer write. Olynyk technically isn’t even a Wizard yet, as the deal sending him from New Orleans to Washington will become official after the July moratorium — it sounds like there’s a chance he’s flipped to another team.
- DeMarre Carroll and former Wizards assistant Brian Randle are expected to have two of the front-of-bench spots on Jordan Ott‘s coaching staff, but the new Suns coach is still seeking a lead assistant who has previous head coaching experience, according to Stein and Fischer.
Trade Rumors: Brown, White, Holiday, Hawks, NAW, Collins
After having agreed to trades that send out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics have moved below the second tax apron. However, they may not be done dealing yet. Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday night (YouTube link), Shams Charania reported that Boston is fielding calls from teams with interest in Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White.
According to Charania, the Celtics’ preference is still to hang onto Brown and White, and they’ve set “high price thresholds” for both players. But they’re also not entirely shutting down inquiries on those guys, so it remains possible that there will be a team willing to meet Boston’s high asking price.
“At minimum,” Charania says, the Celtics are still a strong candidate to make additional deals involving role players who are a little less valuable than Brown and White. Charania specifically identifies Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons as players who might fit that bill.
Simons technically isn’t even a Celtic yet, so the agreed-upon deal involving him and Jrue Holiday could be expanded to include more pieces and send Simons to a third team before it’s officially finalized. Even if that trade is completed as currently constructed, Simons could be flipped to another team immediately — his salary simply couldn’t be aggregated with another player’s salary for two months after he’s traded.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link), he has heard from two sources who refuted the report claiming that Holiday is unhappy about being traded to the Trail Blazers. We passed along that rumor on Tuesday, but suggested taking it with a grain of salt.
- As the Hawks continue to mull various scenarios for how they could use the $25MM+ traded player exception they generated in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal, one possible target to watch is Nickeil Alexander-Walker, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). The Hawks are expected to show interest in Alexander-Walker, who will be a free agent this summer, and could potentially use that TPE to acquire him via sign-and-trade. The Timberwolves have expressed a desire to retain the three-and-D guard, but will also have Julius Randle‘s and Naz Reid‘s contract situations to resolve.
- Although John Collins is considered a potential offseason trade candidate, his market is still taking shape, so a deal seems more likely to happen after the draft than before or during it, per Stein and Fischer. Collins also must exercise his $26.6MM player option before he officially becomes trade-eligible. His decision is due on Thursday.
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, Raptors forward RJ Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley, Jazz guards Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, Wizards guard Marcus Smart, and Bucks wing Pat Connaughton are among the other players viewed as candidates to be on the move this summer, according to Stein and Fischer.