$11 million in 2 years! Smart will join the Lakers and join forces with Donghuang to reach a contract with the Wizards to buy it out

On July 20, according to famous reporter Shams, Marcus Smart has agreed to reach a contract buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards, planning to sign a two-year, $11 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after a clarification period. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time Defensive First Team member, has a player option in the new Lakers contract to make a choice in the free market with more cap space in 2026, the source said.

It is revealed that Lakers All-Star player Doncic has taken the initiative to contact Smart and clearly expressed his willingness to fight side by side with this strongman who has both offense and defense.

This potential signing will bring Smart back to the top stage – he has made the playoffs in every season in his first nine NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, but missed the playoffs in both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards over the past two seasons.

In the past two seasons, Smart has played only 54 games due to injuries (including his right finger injury last season). The average playing time per game dropped to a career-low 20 minutes in the 2024-25 season, with averaging 9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 interruptions per game. Sources said that the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks had all actively chased Smart, who received permission to communicate with the teams and had active conversations with the management of the three teams.

After losing Finney Smith, the Lakers urgently needed a defender who could face the wing in the offense and defensive transition, and Smart was the right person.