The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason determined to build on head coach JJ Redick’s impressive second campaign. Los Angeles finished 53-29 and secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Houston Rockets before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves leading the roster, the Lakers established themselves as contenders but were ultimately exposed by a lack of perimeter depth and consistent two-way play.
General manager Rob Pelinka is faced with several major decisions this summer, with James now a free agent and the possibility of players like veteran guard Marcus Smart testing the open market.
William Liang-Imagn Images
Lakers fans were dealt their first major scare on Monday after ESPN’s Shams Charania gave an update on Draymond Green’s situation with the Golden State Warriors.
“Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is declining his $27.7 million player option to become a free agent, sources tell ESPN. This move gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis via trade to form a Big 4.”
LA received another setback shortly after when Charania confirmed that Smart will be declining his player option to test free agency.
“Lakers guard Marcus Smart has declined his $5.4 million player option and will become a free agent.”
The latest development came a day after The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that the Houston Rockets were interested in signing the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, making his departure from Los Angeles increasingly realistic.
Losing Smart would leave a significant void in the Lakers’ rotation. The veteran guard appeared in 62 games during the 2025-26 season, starting 54, while averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals.
Smart consistently took on the toughest perimeter defensive assignments and brought playoff experience to a roster that relied heavily on James and Doncic’s offensive prowess. He was one of the team’s most valuable role players despite his modest contract.
The Lakers have repeatedly expressed interest in bringing Smart back on a longer-term deal, but the market could make that difficult. If Smart signs elsewhere, Pelinka will be tasked with replacing one of the franchise’s best defenders. For now, the organization can only hope they can convince Smart to return for another season.
