Veteran guard Marcus Smart was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ main free agent acquisitions last offseason and it turned out to be an outstanding move. Smart was vital to the success of the Lakers, being the team’s tone-setter on defense while also acting as a supplementary creator around the team’s core trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
Now, Smart will have a decision to make for next season as he has a player option worth $5.39 million and could choose to opt out for a bigger deal. And should he choose to do so, the Lakers reportedly have interest in retaining him, via Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic:
Smart, whom Doncic recruited in free agency, could opt out of his deal and seek a longer-term contract. The Lakers have interest in retaining him.
Smart initially was coming off the bench for the Lakers, but with the team in need of a point-of-attack defender alongside Doncic and Reaves, he was inserted into the starting lineup and the team was better for it. Even more important was the way Smart stepped up in the playoffs in the absence of the Lakers’ starting backcourt as he became one of the primary scorers and creators while still setting the tone defensively.
The Lakers fed off Smart’s energy and anytime he missed games, his impact was felt. After a couple of injury-filled seasons, the veteran showed he still has plenty left in the tank and can contribute to a winning team. The question now is how much it would cost to bring him back if he were to opt out of his deal.
Smart can almost certainly make more than what he is owed for next season and get a longer contract as well, so him opting out wouldn’t be too much of a surprise. But the Lakers have big decisions to make on a number of role players and where Smart stands in that pecking order is unclear.
Obviously, Reaves and James are at the top of the list, but Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes are all free agents while Deandre Ayton, like Smart, could opt out and hit the open market as well. But Smart undoubtedly proved his worth this season and it will not be easy to replace him should he go elsewhere this summer.
JJ Redick admits Lakers must improve roster
With the season officially over the Lakers must now assess where they stand amongst the rest of the NBA and head coach JJ Redick, while valuing continuity, also understands that the roster must improve in order for them to be a true championship contender.
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