The Los Angeles Lakers broke their long offseason silence over the weekend and announced the signing of Marcus Smart. The veteran guard's contract was bought out by the Washington Wizards, and the 31-year-old landed with the Lakers, who desperately needed more defensive intensity and physicality on the perimeter.
After spending most of free agency missing out on top targets, the Lakers finally made some noise with the addition of a capable rotation player in Smart. Whether bringing in Smart, Jake LaRavia, and Deandre Ayton will be enough to catapult the Lakers into championship contender status remains to be seen, but the former Boston Celtics guard is already turning himself into a fan favorite in Los Angeles.
Marcus Smart Is Already Saying the Right Things as a Laker
In his first remarks as a Laker, Smart addressed his decision to join the Celtics' rival during Tuesday's introductory conference. "I'm expecting a lot of boos," the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year admitted. "I'm expecting a lot of hate, and it's okay. I understand it."
“I’m expecting a lot of boos, I'm expecting a lot of hate, and it's okay I understand it”
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) July 23, 2025
— Marcus Smart 💔
H/T @ohnohedidnt24
pic.twitter.com/kO3ScKuM5V
The three-time NBA All-Defensive veteran was drafted and developed by Boston, spending nine seasons with the storied franchise. While acknowledging that some Celtics fans will feel betrayed by his decision to join their bitter rivals, Smart doesn't seem to mind.
And he is right in his approach.
At the end of the day, it wasn't Smart who wanted to leave Boston. It was the Celtics who surprisingly traded him in the 2023 offseason to the Memphis Grizzlies in the deal that landed them Kristaps Porzingis. Smart, who was the heart and soul of the Celtics, struggled to find his footing in the following two seasons, dealing with injuries in the meantime. In Memphis and Washington, Smart played a total of 54 games in two seasons.
The Lakers hope that the standout defender will be healthier in Los Angeles and can provide defensive versatility to a team desperate for perimeter stoppers. Smart certainly has offensive shortcomings, but he still has the strength, size, and defensive chops to be a difference maker when he is available.
Smart will also have a chip on his shoulder after making the controversial decision to sign with the Lakers. He will desperately want to prove that he has more gas left in the tank and make sure that his decision to betray his former franchise, where he was a fan favorite, was worth it. That alone makes this a home run signing for the Lakers.