Marcus Smart plans to sign deal with Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have finally found a player who can help improve their defense.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart plans to sign with the Lakers after being bought by the Washington Wizards, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Guard Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Superstar Luka Doncic helped convince Smart that the Lakers were his best option in NBA free agency, via Charania.
Lakers All-NBA star Luka Doncic reached out to Smart and made it clear that he wanted to play with the two-way stalwart, sources said.
Doncic is all-in when it comes to his long-term future with the Lakers, as he has begun recruiting potential game-changing players to Los Angeles. Even though Smart isn’t the dominant defensive player he once was due to injury problems over the last couple of seasons, he’s an upgrade, considering the Lakers’ options.
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Along with the Lakers, two other teams were in the mix for Smart’s services: the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, who also expressed interest.
The Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks seriously pursued Smart, who received permission to speak to teams along with his agent, Jason Glushon, and had positive conversations with personnel from all three teams, sources said. After losing Dorian Finney-Smith, a point-of-attack wing defender was a major position of need for the Lakers.
It’ll be interesting to see if this is the last offseason move for the Lakers, as they have limited options moving forward and might be forced to make a trade if they want to keep upgrading their roster.
