In Los Angeles, star power is a given. But grit? Grit is earned.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s exactly what the Lakers are reportedly bringing back to their roster in the form of Marcus Smart \u2014 the snarling, floor-diving, pulse-raising veteran guard who\u2019s made a career out of making the plays that don\u2019t show up on stat sheets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, Smart is expected to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers <\/a>following a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards.\u00a0<\/p>\n BREAKING: Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and intends to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. A return to a grand stage for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com\/8g9Bxzz11E<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The deal isn\u2019t official yet \u2014 not until Smart clears waivers \u2014 but barring an unexpected twist, the defensive stalwart is Hollywood-bound. The Lakers are expected to waive guard Shake Milton to clear space, just hours before Milton\u2019s $3 million salary for next season would have become fully guaranteed on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n If all goes as planned, Marcus Smart \u2014 the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Defensive First Team honoree \u2014 will once again be playing playoff basketball under the bright lights. This time, with \u201cLakers\u201d stitched across his chest.<\/p>\n And this time, he\u2019s got Luka Doncic<\/a> and LeBron James<\/a> by his side.<\/p>\n Smart\u2019s basketball r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is as tough as his game. For nine seasons in Boston, he embodied everything the Celtics stood for \u2014 heart, hustle, and a deep disdain for anything easy. He was the glue in the locker room, the fire on the court. A floor general who’d take a charge on one end, hit a dagger three on the other, and then bark at a teammate to lock in on defense \u2014 all in the same possession.<\/p>\n But in the two seasons since Boston traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>, Smart has floated. Injuries chipped away at his impact. A right finger injury sidelined him for chunks of last season. He appeared in just 54 games over the past two years combined \u2014 first in Memphis, then in Washington \u2014 and his minutes dipped to a career-low 20 per game.<\/p>\n Still, the league hadn\u2019t forgotten what he\u2019s capable of when healthy. Neither had Luka Doncic.<\/p>\n ESPN is reporting that sources close to the situation said the Lakers’ All-NBA superstar personally reached out to Smart<\/a> and made it clear: he wanted him in L.A. The call mattered. So did the opportunity. After losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rickets in free agency, <\/a>the Lakers needed another point-of-attack defender. <\/a>That\u2019s a role that Smart doesn\u2019t just fill, he plugs it up like cement.<\/p>\n In addition to the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks also reportedly pursed Smart. Even after two down years, Smart was one of the most coveted veteran free agents once buyout talks began. His agent, Jason Glushon, was granted permission to speak with teams, and Smart had productive conversations with each suitor. But the Lakers’ vision \u2014 and Luka\u2019s personal recruitment \u2014 tipped the scales.<\/p>\n And now, Smart returns to meaningful basketball. His playoff streak, which stretched nine straight seasons before it was snapped in 2023, is all but guaranteed to restart.<\/p>\n In order to make room for Smart, the Lakers are expected to part ways with Shake Milton \u2014 a 28-year-old guard whose brief stint in L.A. never quite took off.<\/p>\n\n