NBA Scout Believes Los Angeles Lakers Should Start Marcus Smart Over Rui Hachimura

An NBA scout believes the Los Angeles Lakers should start Marcus Smart over Rui Hachimura next season, according to Lakers Daily.

Smart signed with the Lakers after getting bought out by the Washington Wizards. Luka Dončić recruited the former Boston Celtics guard to Los Angeles.

The NBA scout thinks Lakers head coach JJ Redick should start Dončić, Smart, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton in 2025-26.

“JJ should start Marcus over Rui,” the NBA scout said. “They need a point-of-attack defender in the starting lineup and they won’t have one if they start Luka, Au stin, Rui, LeBron and Ayton. I would start Marcus over Rui.

“Rui would absolutely feast on offense playing against bench players, and Marcus can guard guys like Ant (Anthony Edwards), Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), Steph (Stephen Curry) so Luka, Austin and LeBron don’t have to and can focus on offense.”

Marcus Smart played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Wizards last season. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks 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 averages of 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks.

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

Rui Hachimura played in 59 games last season for the Lakers. He averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks while shooting 50.9% from the floor, 41.3% from 3 and 77.0% from the free-throw line.

Los Angeles was the third seed in the West last season but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. Hachimura, 27, played well in the series, averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 49.1% overall and 48.4% from 3.