Marcus Smart was a key signing for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, and he proved to be an X-factor for them throughout this season. His defensive ability, ball-handling skills and ability to facilitate and hit the open man helped the team get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in three years.
When the Lakers signed the veteran guard a year ago, they gave him a two-year contract with a player option for the 2026-27 season. According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Houston Rockets are interested in snagging Smart if he declines that player option.
“The Rockets do, however, loom as a possible free agent destination for another one of Udoka’s former players in Boston: Marcus Smart,” the insiders wrote in The Stein Line.
“League sources say that Smart, who is expected to draw interest from Houston and possibly other teams in free agency, is very much giving consideration to declining his $5.4 million player option for next season with the Lakers before Monday’s deadline to do so and then proceed to the open market.”
Smart averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals a game during the regular season and 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 dimes and 2.4 steals a game in the playoffs for the Lakers. Against those same Rockets in the first round, he went over the 20-point mark twice and had 10 assists in Game 3 as he picked up the slack with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out due to injury.
Losing Smart would be a big blow for the Lakers, as the 32-year-old is their best defender and quite possibly the only plus defender in their rotation as of now.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Report: Rockets have been linked to Lakers’ Marcus Smart
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
