Marcus Smart was a tremendous offseason acquisition in 2025, quickly rehabilitating his image with the healthiest season he's had since 2022-23 turning into elite role player production. The Los Angeles Lakers won big with his signing, but part of the reason that stood out as much as it did was due to the team asking just a bit too much of the veteran guard.
Smart was brilliant, averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes per game. None of that even truly captures the defensive monster that was seen on the back end for the Lakers. The former Boston Celtics guard offered plenty of glimpses that should have reminded fans of his former Defensive Player of the Year form.
The Lakers were at their best when they elevated Smart to the starting lineup. His ability to serve as a great connective piece stabilized the top of the rotation and allowed Los Angeles to play some of their best basketball.
If the Lakers manage to bring him back, they should not be asking for that toll again. Smart is already 32 years old and will be 33 by the end of the 2026-27 campaign. Preserving him as an impactful player could involve the Lakers mirroring the model of Alex Caruso with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Marcus Smart can be an Alex Caruso type of game changer off the bench
"The best version of Marcus Smart on this Lakers team is in an Alex Caruso type [of] role with OKC," Jovan Buha stated on his podcast.
Buha is right on the money. Caruso started the mastery of his craft as an undrafted rookie with the Lakers. It has since been perfected and has shined brightest with the Thunder.
The two-time NBA champion comes off the bench and brings relentless energy to disrupt opposing offenses. Caruso executes his pesky defense to perfection from there, creating real momentum and runs for the Thunder.
The Thunder's defensive menace finished as a +382 for the 2025-26 regular season. That ranked fifth on Oklahoma City. In the NBA Playoffs, Caruso registered a +121 during the postseason run for the now former champs. That mark only trailed Ajay Mitchell, with AC coming in second on the team.
Smart left similar fingerprints on the Lakers. The tenacious vet led the team in the plus-minus category as a +256, comfortably outpacing everyone else in Los Angeles. The statistic is imperfect, but it does strongly hint at what everyone should know: the team is better when he is on the court.
Buha suggested the Lakers should be aiming to have Smart play around 18-20 minutes a night, similar to Caruso, playing hard-nosed basketball and closing games when needed. This was how Los Angeles could get the most out of their veteran role player. It is hard to disagree with that sentiment.
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