Marcus Smart is not the player he once was when the former Boston Celtics guard took home the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year. However, there still might be interest in taking a flier on the three-time All-Defensive Team member.
Jovan Buha fielded a question on a recent episode of his podcast regarding the top remaining free agents and buyout targets for the Los Angeles Lakers. Smart, who is still currently under contract with the Washington Wizards, ranked second on the list.
The Lakers insider had the Wizards guard trailing only De'Anthony Melton on his list. Malcolm Brogdon, Gary Payton II, and Amir Coffey ranked three through five, in that order.
If Smart does not hit the buyout market, there could still be a pathway for the Lakers to acquire his services. Matching up the salaries for a potential trade would not be a strenuous task for Los Angeles. However, there are some nuances to consider in that situation.
Smart gamble is low risk, high reward for Lakers
Smart is certainly not without his concerns at this stage of his career. Buha highlighted poor decision-making as an issue on the offensive end has led to poor selection throughout his time in the NBA.
It is also important to note that last time Smart was an All-Defensive star was 2022. It has been several years since that exact level of quality could be counted upon from the veteran guard.
However, that was also the last time Smart was in an environment that could provide the right level of competitiveness and contending to best capitalize on his skill set. The Lakers would be apsiring to provide that type of opportunity in the 2025-26 season.
As far as the offense goes, between Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, one would hope Smart's shooting opportunities would be largely dictated by those around him and not the other way around. That would help alleviate some of the concerns expressed by Buha previously.
San Antonio Spurs are trading Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of DAL, PHI, OKC) to the Washington Wizards for Kelly Olynyk, sources confirm. ESPN first to report. Wizards have a roster overflow and will need to adjust via cuts or trades.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 9, 2025
With the Wizards roster needing to be trimmed down, Smart has been speculated by many to be a natural buyout candidate for Washington. If not, the Lakers could easily match the money necessary for a trade.
The problem there is that the two-for-one deals that Los Angeles could offer to add up to Smart's $21.5 million contract for 2025-26 only make that overflowing roster worse for Washington. That makes a buyout the more likely scenario in which the bulky guard potentially joins the Lakers.
Gambling on a low-cost maneuver like Smart is not the worst of bets to make at this stage of the offseason. Worst-case scenario, it would be an easy situation to wipe the hands clean of. Best-case scenario, Smart comes in and immediately addresses key needs like backup guard, perimeter defense, and lineup versatility.