Last summer, when veteran guard Marcus Smart had his contract bought out by the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage and signed him to a two-year, $11 million contract with a player option for the second year of the deal. At the time, skeptics said that Smart was over the hill and wouldn’t help the Lakers much, since he was coming off two rough, injury-riddled seasons.
But Smart, the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, gave Los Angeles a versatile and effective defender, as well as a secondary ball-handler and facilitator and another leader on and off the court. He played a key role in the team finishing with the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a 53-29 record and upsetting the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
If Smart does opt out and become a free agent this summer, the Lakers unsurprisingly will want to keep him, according to a report in The Athletic.
“Smart, whom [Luka] Dončić recruited in free agency, could opt out of his deal and seek a longer-term contract,” wrote Dan Woike and Sam Amick. “The Lakers have interest in retaining him.”
The 32-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals a game during the regular season while starting in 54 of the 62 games he appeared in. In the playoffs, he was at 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game, and he spent plenty of time guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander effectively during the second round of the postseason.
The Lakers need more plus defenders and two-way players, and while Smart is a poor outside shooter, his defense and overall resourcefulness and experience have proven to be invaluable to them.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Report: Lakers are interested in keeping Marcus Smart
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
