Nick Smith Jr. got the call to help address the Los Angeles Lakers' pressing need for backcourt creation after the late-season injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. That short-term job security is all but gone ahead of a looming summer makeover for Hollywood's basketball team.
The Lakers want to spend, they want to make trades, they may even look to the NBA Draft for some of their roster fixes. One way or another, though, this squad is expected to look quite different come the start of the 2026-27 season. This is where Smith comes in as a potential departure.
The Lakers guard has a $2.5 million team option for the upcoming season. If Los Angeles thinks there is a suitor for Smith via trade, they could easily pick up the deal and send him elsewhere. If not, they could just as easily open up some finances and a roster spot by simply not picking up the option.
The front office could even get the best of both worlds. They could pick up his option in the short-term, but release his completely non-guaranteed deal at the earliest convenience in the summer.
Unfortunately for Smith, the 22-year-old has not done much to really secure his future with the Lakers ahead of the needed changes in Los Angeles. The former first round pick could not even win the battle in the backcourt for the postseason.
Nick Smith Jr. is right at the bottom of the Lakers' totem pole
There are a handful of current Lakers one would look to and hope they are gone next season. There is another group with which indifference is the general feeling. With Smith, he falls into the latter with a sense of apathy surrounding his presence on the team.
Apathy was what JJ Redick in the playoffs, despite Smith getting the late nod to replace Kobe Bufkin on the playoff-eligible roster in Los Angeles. The Lakers coach did not look his way, apart from garbage time minutes.
It was Bronny James who stood out to Redick as the short-term replacement in the backcourt rotation for the absences of Doncic and Reaves. That decision made it perfectly clear who the Lakers bench boss trusted more for impactful minutes amid two devastating injury blows.
It is tough to imagine a player who could not beat out Bronny for minutes getting prioritized in any way when the Lakers consider their future. That is no slight at James either, who has improved considerably over recent years.
The point is Bronny is far from a player embedded in the Lakers' present or future himself. Even with his noticeable strides, James could be a cap casualty (even if he probably shouldn't be).
If Smith struggled to unseat someone of that caliber for playoff minutes, his chances of sneaking onto a roster that should have improved depth are slim. If there are any intriguing options for minimum deals in free agency, the Lakers guard sticks out as an immediate candidate to make space for them.
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