When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Marcus Smart, few knew what to expect of the former Defensive Player of the Year. Smart's metrics generally suggested he was making a positive impact on his teams in recent years, but injuries were frequently an issue as he entered his 30s.
A third of the way through the 2025-26 regular season, Smart has made it clear that those writing him off were too quick to pick up their pens.
Smart has been a culture-changing presence for the Lakers during a stellar start to the 2025-26 season. His mere presence has helped the team play with more heart and energy on defense, and his offensive production has saved the second unit from bouts of becoming obsolete.
In many respects, Smart has reemerged as the very player who earned accolades and consistent praise for his ability to impact winning.
Perhaps that praise will prove ambitious and Smart isn't the same player who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22. Rather than getting hung up on reputations and legacies, however, the Lakers have brought him in to play the exact role they've struggled to fill.
Compounded by the fact that he was effectively hand-picked by franchise player Luka Doncic, Smart has looked the part of exactly who the Lakers need long term.
Marcus Smart playing like he could be a long-term fit with the Lakers
Smart, 31, is currently averaging 10.3 points, 2.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made in 27.4 minutes per game. Expected by many to play a limited role, he's instead ranking sixth on the Lakers in minutes played per contest.
In addition to providing consistent scoring numbers and a willingness to shoot that other reserves often struggle to display, Smart has, in fact, defended at a top-tier level.
Smart currently ranks in the 90th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 91st percentile in passing lane defense, and the 78th percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index. That certainly paints the picture of a player who's still elite on the defensive end of the floor.
The Lakers desperately need to add athletic wing stoppers to the roster, but Smart's individual brilliance is still impossible to overlook.
With this in mind, there's reason to believe it would behoove Los Angeles to extend its partnership with Smart beyond the 2025-26 season. Much still needs to be proven, particularly in regard to his ability to play a high enough percentage of games to justify at least one more season together.
Smart has a $5,390,700 player option for the 2026-27 season, however, that would be money well spent if he maintains his current pace and decides to opt in.
In the event that Smart continues to thrive in 2025-26 but opts out, difficult questions will need to be answered. He'll turn 32 in March and has enough of an injury history to raise red flags. If health isn't an issue by the end of the season, however, then re-signing him on a two-year deal would be easily defensible.
Signing Smart was justifiably viewed through the lens of a short-term gain, but it turns out his Lakers future is brighter than many expected it to be.