'Being Able to Play With Luka and LeBron:' Marcus Smart Reveals Real Reason He Signed With Los Angeles Lakers

The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks were interested in signing Marcus Smart after the NBA veteran was bought out by the Washington Wizards, but Smart chose to join the Los Angeles Lakers because of Luka Dončić and LeBron James.

Dončić heavily recruited Smart to the Lakers, who signed the former Boston Celtics guard to a two-year, $11 million deal.

“The main one, you know, being able to play with, you know, Luka and LeBron, you know, two of the best to do it in this game, two greats with (the) greatest basketball IQ that I’ve ever seen in this era,” Marcus Smart said.

“And, you know, when you get a guy like Luka calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you at to see and that if you want to come and, you know, join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here. And for him to say that, you know, to see he can really use my help, that meant a lot.”

Smart played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Wizards last season. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 34 games while shooting 39.3% from the field, 34.8% from beyond the arc and 76.1% from the free-throw line.

The 31-year-old Smart has played for the Celtics, Grizzlies and Wizards. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year with Boston has career NBA averages of 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Smart was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 108 postseason games, all with the Celtics.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. They were the third seed in the West. 

Los Angeles signed Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia after losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick is expected to start Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron and Ayton next season.