EL SEGUNDO — Even though Marcus Smart was familiar with Luka Doncic before signing with the Lakers, even he was in disbelief about Doncic’s recruiting efforts to bring the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year to Los Angeles.
Smart didn’t go so far as to say he and Doncic had a “relationship” prior to Smart joining the franchise, which officially happened on Tuesday.
He acknowledged the two had a “mutual understanding and respect for each other” after matching up against each other 11 times over the past seven years. But when Smart’s agent called him after a workout to let Smart know that Doncic reached out, Smart brushed it off.
“I’m like ‘yeah whatever’ you know?,” Smart recalled during his Lakers introductory news conference with a few beat reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “Like, all right.”
But when Doncic made another call, Smart knew the interest from the 26-year-old Slovenian star – and the Lakers – was real. And something that needed to be discussed as he was working through his contract buyout with the Washington Wizards.
“That was a great feeling,” Smart said of the communication from Doncic. “That’s kind of what kind of got things going for me to be here. And I’m excited to be here.”
Smart responded when asked about Doncic as a recruiter: “He’s a competitor – he’s just the same way. He has that competitive nature when he’s talking. He’s intrigued and that’s it. He didn’t really have to say much. Luka, his name, his ability, what he has done [speaks] for himself. I’ve been on the other end of Luka magic. So to be able to come and join and see it and witness it on the other side is something that I was like, ‘why not give it a shot?’
Doncic’s recruiting played a part in Smart signing a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Lakers that has a $5.1 million salary for 2025-26 and a $5.4 million player option for 2026-27.
Being able to play alongside Doncic and fellow Lakers star LeBron James appealed to Smart.
“Two of the best to do it in this game, two greats with the greatest basketball IQs that I’ve ever seen in this era,” Smart said. “And when you get a guy like Luka. Calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you at to see if you want to come and join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here. And for him to say that he can really use my help, that meant a lot.”
Being able to play for a team looking to compete for a championship after back-to-back seasons of not being in the playoffs also appealed to Smart.
“The main goal, the reason you go out and you compete the way you compete is to try to win championships and what better place to be able to do that than here, where the show starts and where the show ends. So, that was definitely a big part of it, being able to get back on that stage, being able to get to a team that definitely could use me and I know I can make an impact and I can help as well and that was a perfect fit here.”
The best version of Smart – the one who was awarded with the league’s highest defensive honor three years ago and was named to the All-Defense first team three times (2018-19, ’22) – would fill a clear need for the Lakers, who have won just two postseason series (both in 2023) since winning the 2020 NBA title in the Orlando bubble.
Smart also has extensive experience playing meaningful games deep into the season. He appeared in the playoffs all nine seasons when he was with the Boston Celtics, including five trips to the Eastern Conference finals (2017-18, ’20 and ’22-’23) and a run to the 2022 NBA Finals.
“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games.
“He knows and understands playoff winning and will be a key leadership voice in our group. Surrounding our stars with two-way players like Marcus is critical to our overall vision of how we want to play and win next season.”
But after back-to-back injury-riddled seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Wizards – 54 combined games played over the last two seasons because of a variety of injuries – there have been natural questions about how much the 31-year-old Smart will be able to contribute moving forward.
Those questions are motivating him.
“The last two years for me was in my eyes a disappointment,” Smart said. “Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back. But like I told my wife and my family, everything happens for a reason.
“And I just look at those reasons was for me to be here.”