Marcus Smart's comments on why he joined the Los Angeles Lakers hints that Luka Dončić has no plans of leaving in free agency.
The Los Angeles Lakers have approached the offseason with the plan of building a contender around Luka Dončić while also maintaining their future cap flexibility. While their short-term goals involve winning a championship and getting Dončić to re-sign, they their books clear for the stacked free agent class of 2027 as their long-term goal is to find a co-star for the superstar guard.
There have been questions about whether this strategy could backfire and lead Dončić to decline his 2026-27 player option and leave in free agency next summer. Marcus Smart's first comments after signing with the Lakers suggest that the franchise and their latest star are on the same page.
"There's a lot of reasons, but the main one: being able to play with Luka and LeBron, two of the best to do it in this game," Lakers guard Marcus Smart stated Tuesday. "Two greats with the greatest basketball IQ that I've ever seen in this era. And when you get a guy like Luka calling ... to see if you want to come join something special that he's trying to cook up over here. For him to say that he can really use my help meant a lot."
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Smart is the second player -- along with Deandre Ayton -- to reveal that Dončić played a role in recruiting him to the Lakers this summer. While many questioned if the five-time All-Star would remain in Los Angeles for the long haul, his approach during the offseason has suggested he has no plans to leave.
As Smart stated, Dončić has been focused on "cooking up" something special. The Lakers star is eligible to sign a contract extension on Aug. 2.
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Category: Basketball
