LOS ANGELES — Veteran guard Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Saturday.
The 31-year-old former NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2022) will also carry a player option for the second season of the contract, positioning him to test free agency again in 2026. Smart’s addition is expected to bolster the Lakers' perimeter defense at the point of attack.
BREAKING: Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and intends to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. A return to a grand stage for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/8g9Bxzz11E
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2025
Luka Dončić reportedly played a key role in recruiting the guard, personally reaching out and making it clear he wanted Smart in Los Angeles.
Smart will join a renewed Lakers core that includes Dončić, LeBron James and recent buyout signing DeAndre Ayton. Last season, L.A. posted a 50–32 record but fell in the first round of the playoffs.
A former sixth overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 2014, Smart spent nine seasons in Boston before stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and, most recently, the Wizards. Despite battling injuries over the past two seasons—missing significant time and playing in only 54 games—he averaged roughly 9.0 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest in 2024–25.
To accommodate his salary, the Lakers are expected to waive guard Shake Milton and possibly Jordan Goodwin, both on non-guaranteed deals, clearing cap room for Smart to sign.