Remember when Marcus Smart was trading blows with Stephen Curry during the 2022 NBA Finals? Those Boston Celtics days feel like a lifetime ago. Now the veteran guard is gearing up for his biggest test yet: proving he can still be a difference-maker on basketball’s biggest stage.
The Los Angeles Lakers snagged Smart this week after he agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards. The deal? A two-year, $11 million commitment that has analysts split on whether Los Angeles just found their missing piece or made an expensive gamble on damaged goods.
Why Are Analysts Only Giving the Lakers a B Grade for Marcus Smart?
Following another first-round playoff exit, the Lakers knew they needed to shake things up. The February trade that brought Luka Dončić from Dallas was huge, and adding center Deandre Ayton and forward Jake LaRavia this summer gave them depth across multiple positions. Smart was supposed to be the cherry on top.
BREAKING: Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and intends to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. A return to a grand stage for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/8g9Bxzz11E
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2025
On paper, this signing makes perfect sense. Smart earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 and brings the kind of playoff experience that championship teams crave. But ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wasn’t blown away, handing the move just a “B” grade.
The concerns are real and they’re mounting. “The big question is what Smart the Lakers are getting. He struggled during the first half of last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, shooting just 36% before the Grizzlies moved him to Washington at the deadline for expiring contracts,” Pelton explained.
That shooting percentage tells only part of the story. “Smart played just 39 games during two seasons in Memphis after dealing with multiple injuries and failing to make the same impact at either end as he did with the Celtics,” Pelton added.
What Are the Biggest Risk Factors With This Smart Signing?
The injury history is impossible to ignore. Smart’s durability issues have become a pattern, not an anomaly. The 6’3″ guard managed just 20 games during the 2023-24 season, then followed that up with only 34 appearances in 2024-25. For a Lakers team already stretched thin at guard, that’s a major red flag.
Meanwhile, the financial implications could handcuff Los Angeles down the stretch. The $11 million commitment over two years might not sound massive, but context matters. “Adding Smart will reduce the Lakers’ flexibility to add salary during the season. With 14 players under contract, they’ll be barely $1 million away from their hard cap,” Pelton noted.
This constraint becomes even more significant when you consider the alternatives. Pelton suggested the Lakers might have been better served pursuing someone like De’Anthony Melton to fill the backup guard role behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. That kind of second-guessing rarely happens when front offices nail their signings.
However, Smart’s upside remains tantalizing. At 31, the former Oklahoma State star hasn’t lost all his tools. His defensive versatility allows him to guard multiple positions, and the intensity he brings fits perfectly with what coach JJ Redick wants to build. Plus, when healthy, Smart can still produce offensively. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.3 assists during the 2023-24 campaign with Memphis before injuries derailed his season.
The Lakers are betting that Smart’s championship experience and defensive instincts will outweigh the injury concerns. Whether that gamble pays off could determine how far this revamped roster can go when the playoffs arrive.
