It felt like a no-brainer for the Los Angeles Lakers to retain Marcus Smart this offseason, especially after his first-round postseason performance. LeBron James and Smart were two critical reasons as to why L.A. upset the Houston Rockets while missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for a majority of the series.
The veteran guard rehabbed his value in Los Angeles and became a vital defensive leader for head coach JJ Redick. Unfortunately, once free agency opened, it was apparent that Smart was not coming back and went on to sign with the Rockets. The Lakers will miss his presence this year, but he appeared to be ready for a new situation.
“I don’t have great clarity on this, and there’s differing accounts of how it all went down,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha said on the Third Apron Podcast. “But my understanding is that, to some degree, Smart was ready to move forward in a different situation.”
Going off how the Lakers’ offseason panned out, general manager Rob Pelinka clearly wanted to get younger and more athletic. While Smart is in the back half of his career, he showcased last season that he still can be an impactful two-way player.
In addition to Smart’s defensive chops, the Lakers lost an influential voice on the floor and in the locker room, which is a void that will not be easily filled. Without Smart, concerns remain regardig the Lakers’ defense as Redick’s staff needs to find useful schemes to accommodate his personnel.
Notably, the last time Houston signed a defensive talent away from Los Angeles, Dorian Finney-Smith dealt with an ankle issue which prevented him from playing at a high level. The Rockets saw firsthand how great Smart was in their playoff series, so they are hoping he can provide veteran experience along with Kevin Durant.
Collin Sexton wants to emulate Marcus Smart & Avery Bradley
It is hard to gauge who can potentially step into Smart’s role as a defensive leader or if that will happen at all. One of the players the Lakers signed to replace him though is Collin Sexton, who recently spoke about wanting to emulate Smart and another noteworthy two-way guard in Avery Bradley, who won a championship with the team in 2020.
Statistically, Sexton has not been a great defender through his eight seasons in the NBA, but perhaps he is looking to make strides in L.A. Time will tell if he picks up habits and instincts that Bradley and Smart have that made them great two-way players.
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