Smart credits Doncic with assist for Lakers move

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Tally an assistance for Luka Doncic months earlier opening night.

Marcus Smart credited Doncic for recruiting him to Los Angeles astatine his introductory quality league with the Lakers connected Tuesday.

"When you get a feline similar Luka calling... checking connected you, trying to spot wherever you're at, to spot if you privation to travel articulation thing peculiar that he's trying to navigator up implicit here," Smart said. "For him to accidental that helium tin truly usage my help, that meant a lot."

Smart, who cleared waivers aft reaching a buyout statement with the Washington Wizards, signed a two-year, $11 cardinal woody with the Lakers, sources antecedently told ESPN. L.A. waived guards Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to person entree to the biannual objection to motion Smart, 31, for much than the veteran's minimum, sources said.

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Defense first-team subordinate volition beryllium tasked with providing the Lakers with a point-of-attack defender connected the perimeter aft Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets successful escaped agency. And with 108 vocation playoff games nether his loop -- tied with Minnesota Timberwolves defender Mike Conley for the 18th astir among progressive players -- his acquisition volition beryllium invited with a comparatively caller Lakers radical that traded for Doncic successful February and is coached by JJ Redick, entering his 2nd play connected the sideline. With LeBron James, No. 1 successful all-time postseason games successful the mix, of course.

"Just to beryllium me," Smart said erstwhile asked what his relation volition beryllium connected the team. "Come successful and bash what I bash and that's [being] a tenacious defender, conscionable bringing the strength that I bring, my leadership, my hoops IQ, arsenic well. But conscionable being the pest that I've ever been."

The information that Doncic was truthful vigilant successful his pursuit of Smart is surely a bully motion for however helium views his semipermanent allegiance to the franchise. Doncic has 2 years near connected his declaration with L.A.,, including a subordinate enactment for 2026-27. However, the Lakers volition beryllium capable to connection the 26-year-old superstar a four-year, $222 cardinal hold arsenic of Aug. 2, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Smart is 1 of 4 caller faces to articulation the squad this offseason, on with halfway Deandre Ayton and guardant Jake LaRavia, some escaped cause signings, and second-round draught prime Adou Thiero. L.A. won 50 games and earned the No. 3 effect successful the crowded Western Conference past play earlier being ousted by the Timberwolves successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs successful 5 games.

Smart said that L.A. is equipped to clasp its ain successful the West, which figures to beryllium conscionable arsenic competitory successful 2025-26 with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and revamped Denver Nuggets and Rockets rosters providing formidable challenges -- conscionable to sanction a fewer teams.

"I deliberation we stack close up determination with the champion of them," Smart said. "And I deliberation we tin [compete]. Our ceiling is high. I deliberation there's nary ceiling. I deliberation if we each fastener successful and travel and bash what we're expected to do, we tin person a existent bully changeable astatine it."

After spending the archetypal 9 years of his vocation with the Boston Celtics, the franchise that drafted him No. 6 successful 2014 (when L.A. worked him retired earlier the draught and selected Julius Randle astatine No. 7), Smart played conscionable 54 combined games the past 2 seasons with Washington and the Memphis Grizzlies due to the fact that of injuries.

"I'm precise motivated," Smart said. "The past 2 years for maine was, successful my eyes, a disappointment. Injuries benignant of stopped maine and held maine back. But similar I told my woman and my family, everything happens for a reason. And it's comic that 12 years ago, I could person been present and present it's afloat ellipse and I'm here."