Marcus Smart's Move to Lakers Could Help Oklahoma State Make History

Oklahoma State’s former star is heading to Los Angeles, and he could soon make some history. 

On Saturday, former OSU guard Marcus Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards, clearing the way for him to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. Smart is hoping this move to the West Coast will help him revive his career and get back on track as he heads into his 12th NBA season.

Before making his way to the Lakers, Smart spent the final couple of months of last season with the Wizards after a rough year and a half stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, Smart is best known for his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics.

After the Celtics picked Smart in the 2014 NBA Draft, he helped the team reach nine straight playoff appearances. He had his best season in 2022, winning Defensive Player of the Year and being a key part of Boston’s first NBA Finals run in over a decade.

While the Celtics were a contender for much of Smart’s tenure, he was on a couple of non-playoff teams in Memphis and Washington. Now heading to the Lakers to play alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Smart has an opportunity to compete for a championship once again.

While the Lakers might not have had the best offseason, their star power should still be enough to keep them in the conversation to make a deep run next postseason. If Smart is able to help the Lakers win a title, he could join an exclusive list of former Cowboys.

Throughout OSU’s history, it has sent plenty of talent to the NBA, but only three former Cowboys have won an NBA championship. Terrel Harris won with the Miami Heat in 2012, Tony Allen did so with the Celtics in 2008 and Corey Williams’ Chicago Bulls won in 1993.

While those three have championship rings, Williams never played for the Bulls in that playoff run and Harris played only 10 minutes and added only five points in Miami’s postseason. While Allen played in 15 games, he hadn’t turned into the All-Defensive stud yet and played only four minutes per game in his limited appearances.

Considering Smart is set to be one of the most important players for the Lakers, especially on defense, next season, he could become the first Cowboy to win a championship as a key part of the playoff run.