Marcus Smart shares that the opportunity to win a championship played a role in his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
Marcus Smart became the latest free agent to join the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a two-year, $11 million contract. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year reportedly gave up just under $7 million in order to facilitate his buyout from the Washington Wizards, which paved the way for him to join the Lakers.
He met with the local media for the first time on Tuesday. Smart revealed that the opportunity to compete for a championship was atop his list of reasons for signing in Los Angeles.
"It's at the top," Lakers guard Marcus Smart stated Tuesday. "The main goal, the reason you go out and compete the way you compete is to try to win championships. What better place to be able to do that than here, where the show starts and the show ends? Being able to get back on that stage, to a team that can definitely use me, and I know I can make an impact and help as well. That was a perfect fit here."
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Smart spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, reaching the postseason every year. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Memphis Grizzlies before splitting last season with the Grizzlies and Wizards. The three-time first-team All-Defensive guard has not had the opportunity to play postseason basketball in each of the past two seasons.
He noted that the opportunity to play with Luka Dončić and LeBron James -- who he labeled as the two players with the greatest basketball IQ in this era -- also played a role in his decision. The former played a key role in recruiting Smart to the Lakers.
There have been plenty of questions about whether or not Los Angeles has done enough to build a winner around their two stars. The front office has worked to improve the roster -- signing Smart, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia -- while maintaining cap flexibility to find a long-term running mate for Dončić in 2027.
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Category: Basketball
