Marcus Smart has now missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ last six games due to a nagging back injury that was first classified as spasms and then a left lumbar muscle strain.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick originally did not expect Smart to miss more than a couple of games after his MRI came back clean, but the injury has obviously been lingering enough to continue to keep him out. Considering Smart is a veteran that has missed a lot of time the last couple of seasons, the organization is understandably being cautious to avoid this back injury becoming a long-term issue.
Ahead of L.A.’s matchup to end their road trip on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, Redick gave an update on Smart and remains hopeful that the guard will be able to return for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group:
JJ Redick says Marcus Smart remains day-to-day, but added the hope is that he'll be available for Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup vs. the San Antonio Spurs.
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) December 7, 2025
The Lakers hosting the Spurs on Wednesday is the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup, so it definitely would ideal to get Smart back and have the full roster available. Once the Lakers get the result of that game then they will know when their next game is as if they advance to the semifinals, that would be on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Smart has been key for the Lakers defense to start the season and has been greatly missed, so hopefully Redick is correct and he is back in the lineup as soon as possible.
Marcus Smart credits Lakers’ resilience for strong start
The Lakers have been better than people expected to start this season, especially considering they have had so many key players in and out of the lineup with injuries. When asked what he attributed that to, Marcus Smart used the word resilience.
“Just our resilience. It’s something new every game for us that’s allowing us to do that when we get in those woes. We have some vets on the team that do a really good job of controlling the tempo, controlling the tempers, controlling emotions and making sure we get the job done. We’re definitely going to shoot better, we work too hard not to. That’s part of the game, we’ve just got to keep shooting though.”
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!
