The Los Angeles Lakers signed Marcus Smart towards the tail end of the 2025 offseason after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards. He signed with the Lakers on a two-year, $10.5 million deal with a player option on the second season. But somehow, he ended up being arguably the best acquisition the team made.
Smart was an emotional leader on and off the floor for the entire season, and was pivotal in keeping the team afloat after injuries to both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Now, he faces a decision on his $5.4 million player option. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, he’s hoping he can return to L.A. at a better price:
The Lakers are interested in retaining Marcus Smart and sharpshooter Luke Kennard, sources told ESPN.
Smart, who was recruited to L.A. by Doncic and has until June 29 to exercise the final year of his contract at $5.4 million, enjoyed his role with the Lakers and is hoping for a new contract and a raise, sources said.
The Lakers have to be careful when it comes to retaining their own free agents. Smart is the type of player they likely want to bring back and would be beneficial to have if the goal is a championship team. However, they have to make sure they don’t use up too much of their cap space in order to retain him.
L.A. only has non-bird rights on Smart, meaning they can only offer him a Year 1 salary of $6.2 million if they want to not use cap space to sign him. They also could sign him using the room exception — projected at around $9.4 million — if they go the cap space route.
Bringing Smart back at a raise is possible, but if the number gets too high, they may be better off letting him go and using their cap space to replace him.
Luka Doncic calls this important offseason for Lakers
Lakers star Luka Doncic referred to the 2025-26 season as a bad one, mostly because the Lakers did not win the title. He then emphasized the importance of the summer, saying that every offseason is important when the goal is to build a championship team.
That alone should put some pressure on the Lakers front office to make some significant upgrades to the roster, in the hopes that they can quickly turn the Doncic-led roster into a contending one.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
