Following a bounceback season in Los Angeles, Marcus Smart is set to earn a bit more money on his next contract. Unfortunately, it won’t be with the Lakers.
After opting out of his contract on Monday, Smart has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Houston Rockets, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Smart worked his way into becoming one of the key pieces of the Lakers last season. After starting the year on the bench, Smart quickly moved his way into the starting lineup and became an integral part.
He ended up playing 62 games, more than he played in the last two seasons combined, and averaged 9.3 points and 3 assists per game. After battling injuries the last two years, Smart was more durable and showed up in the big moments.
Never was that more apparent than in the postseason. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves sidelined, Smart stepped up and played a huge part in the Lakers knocking off the Rockets in the first round. In 10 games, he averaged 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
In a bit of irony, it was the Rockets’ interest that first surfaced, making it clear he would opt out of his contract. It was a bit of a lose-lose situation for the Lakers with this contract as Smart would either play well and opt out or not play well and the team would be stuck with him in a second season.
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