How Should Wizards Handle Marcus Smart This Offseason?

For a team who's reputation stems so closely to the youth the've accumulated through the draft and their willingness to give those prospects NBA experience the hard way, the Washington Wizards have no shortage of veterans.

They closed last season by giving the team's future as long of a leash as you'll see, granting starting spots to their four rookies and other young pieces down the regular season's close while older Wizards like Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart watched from the sidelines.

Those experienced pros have made for critical presences in Washington's locker room, with those three particularly combining for a decorated trophy case. Brogdon's taken home Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, Middleton's won it all as a top scoring option along with several All-Star Game appearances to his name, and Smart's a former Defensive Player of the Year winner with the most playoff experience of any Wizard at 108 games.

As welcome as their pedigrees have been on such an otherwise-inexperienced team, few of those vets are expected to be around for the long haul. Brogdon is set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, while Middleton has a $34 million player option he may or not pick up.

Only Smart is locked in for 2025-26, set to enter the final year of the four-year, $76 million deal he inked when he was still a Celtic.

He's owed just over $21 million, a relatively modest figure for the team to advertise should they try to move Smart for more future assets as a juicy, mid-level expiring contract.

As entertaining as that option is, should Smart provide immediate value and entertain offers before the deadline market, the team has a real incentive to hold onto him through his deal.

He's already made a real positive impact on the team on and off the court, with several of Washington's prospects crediting Smart as one of the most impactful veteran voices who've gone on to fill the Wizards locker room.