After reestablishing himself with the Lakers last season, Marcus Smart is set for one more big contract this offseason.
Smart will reportedly opt out of the second year of his deal with the Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
In the days leading up to his Monday’s decision, reports about the Rockets’
interest in Smart began to surface. With at least one team set to pay him this summer, it’s no surprise that he opted out for another payday.
From the moment he signed it, Smart’s contract with the Lakers was a bet on himself. As a two-year deal with a player option for the second season, he could look to find his footing again and, if it worked out for him, he would opt out for a new contract.
After injuries limited him to 54 games in 2023-24 and 2024-25, Smart played 62 games for LA this season. He briefly spent time coming off the bench to open the season before moving into the starting lineup and flourishing.
In the playoffs, he stepped up in a big way, helping the Lakers to a round one victory against, ironically, the Rockets. Without Luka Dončić for the entire postseason and with Austin Reaves only returning at the end of the first round, Smart stepped into a much larger role and flourished.
Perhaps that performance was what swayed Houston into pursuing him this summer. Regardless of the reason, the Lakers are going to have competition to retain him beyond this season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
