Smart Move? How Much Marcus Smart Helps the Lakers

A deep-dive into the newest Lakers addition—defense, offense, fit and more.

Photo by Justin Ford / Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason quietly went from so-so to surprisingly good, and that's despite Rob Pelinka still saving his ammo for a bigger splash move.

After filling their biggest hole in the middle by signing Deandre Ayton following his buyout from Portland, the Lakers capitalized on another buyout opportunity. Marcus Smart agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal after being waived by the Wizards and clearing waivers. Lakers fans now hope Smart can be the next in a line of defensive-minded veterans to leave their mark in Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of Rick Fox, Avery Bradley, and Rajon Rondo. All three once wore Celtics green before switching to purple and gold, and each carved out a meaningful role on championship-contending Lakers teams.

I’ve always been a big Marcus Smart fan. For years, I believed a defensive-minded combo guard like him, Jrue Holiday, or later Jalen Suggs would be the perfect complement next to Luka Dončić. I still remember watching their battles when Smart was in Boston and later with Memphis. There was always a sense of mutual respect, and you could see how much both players embraced the challenge of going head-to-head. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who saw the fit. According to reports, Dončić played a big role in recruiting Smart to Los Angeles. With Dončić also having a say in the Ayton deal and other offseason moves, it’s clear this is becoming his team in every sense.

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Breakdown highlights

1. The aggressive tone and new culture setter

2. How much defensive juice is left? (🎞️VIDEO)

3. Another connector on offense?

4. Shooting AND health concerns

5. More time and goodwill bought

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1-The aggressive tone and new culture setter

Photo by Boston Globe / Getty Images

The biggest question with Marcus Smart is how much his body has left, and I’ll get to that in the next sections. Like Ayton, he became available for a reason. But what’s not in doubt is the different tone Smart will bring to this Lakers team. Just a couple of days ago, during a long drive home from Greece, I found myself thinking about the Lakers' offseason. While I liked the additions of both Ayton ([deep-dive here]) and LaRavia ([deep-dive here]), neither really addressed the team’s lack of aggressiveness, speed, and physical edge. Neither shifted the narrative of this being a finesse team, something that hurt them during the disappointing playoff run and feels far removed from the aggressive style we've seen in the Finals and where the NBA is clearly trending. Smart may not bring elite speed or explosive athleticism, but he will absolutely add defensive pressure, toughness, and a much-needed edge. Smart and Adou Thiero, the 36th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, could be the two enforcers and aggressive defenders this team lacked. They are the type of players who can help prevent a repeat of how the Lakers were bullied by the bigger, more physical Timberwolves in the playoffs.

JJ Redick established a culture of hustle and ball pressure during the regular season, with players like Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Jordan Goodwin injecting energy and changing the complexion of games off the bench. But due to their offensive limitations, that identity was largely abandoned in the playoffs. The additions of Smart, Thiero, and LaRavia suggest the team not only wants to return to that model, but wants to double down—this time with an upgraded cast and, hopefully, a rejuvenated Vanderbilt coming off a long and healthy offseason.

At minimum, Smart should be a culture setter, a veteran locker room leader who holds the team accountable and mentors younger players like Bronny James, whose clearest path to NBA rotation minutes is becoming an ultra-aggressive perimeter pest.

2-How much defensive juice is left? (🎞️VIDEO)

Back in June, I did a deep-dive on how to build a defense around Luka Dončić. One of the more striking points from that piece was this: in Dončić’s seven years in the NBA, he’s never played alongside a teammate who made an All-Defense team—or even came close to receiving significant consideration for one. You could easily argue that Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Defense First Team selection, is the most decorated defender Dončić has ever shared a locker room with.

The key question with Smart, now 31 and facing legitimate concerns about physical decline, is how close he can get to being a disruptive defender again after two lost seasons on tanking teams in Memphis and Washington?

The good news is that most defensive metrics still view Smart as an impactful presence. Even during what many considered a disappointing stint in Memphis and a brief stop in Washington, he remained near the top of the league in advanced defensive stats. He ranked fourth among guards in defensive Estimated Plus-Minus in 2025 and sixth in 2024. His on/off numbers show that teams consistently defended significanlty better with him on the floor, and his steal rate remained in the elite 90th percentile range. His isolation defense and other metrics still grade out very well.

Smart probably isn’t an elite, super-quick and durable on-ball defender anymore, the kind who can hound pick-and-roll ballhandlers for 30-plus minutes a night over a full season. He has lost some quickness and gradually shifted from guarding the point of attack to more wing assignments as his career progressed. Fun note: over the past two seasons, two of Smart’s most frequent half-court defensive matchups were LeBron James and Luka Dončić, which highlights his defensive versatility, switchability and the ability to guard up.

I re-watched a few of Smart’s rare meaningful games during his last season with the Grizzlies, and it was clear how often he shifted roles on a per-possession basis. He defended primary ball-handlers like De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton when the Grizzlies were without their key on-ball stoppers, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells. On other possessions, he matched up with bigger wing scorers like DeMar DeRozan and Pascal Siakam. Interestingly, there were sequences where the other new Laker, Jake LaRavia, took on ball-handlers and drew praise from Smart, while Smart defended the top wing threat. He also freelanced as a weakside help defender, often playing a Draymond Green-like role as the defensive shell coordinator, reading actions, calling out rotations, and stepping in to disrupt plays.

So even if Smart is no longer a full-time elite defender against quicker guards, the film still shows he remains above average in that area and continues to make winning defensive plays at a high rate. His defensive IQ and versatility will also give Redick plenty of flexibility with different defensive schemes. We’ve seen how someone like Alex Caruso made a huge impact off the bench for OKC by setting the tone with pressure and shifting the flow of games with his defensive playmaking ability. The Thunder managed his minutes carefully, brought him off the bench, and let him pick his spots—both to maximize his impact and reduce injury risk given his physical style of play. If the Lakers use Smart in a similar connector role, with a similar approach, it could be a major boost. The Lakers don’t have the luxury of players like Lu Dort or Cason Wallace, which is why adding another younger, athletic wing defender should still be a priority.

3-Another connector on offense?