Overview
- Marcus Smart agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and is set to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option for the second season.
- Los Angeles plans to waive guard Shake Milton once Smart clears waivers to open a roster spot and create sufficient salary-cap space.
- Smart arrives as the team’s primary perimeter stopper, filling a defensive gap exposed by last season’s first-round exit and a late-campaign injury to LeBron James.
- The move extends the Lakers’ cap-friendly strategy of adding veteran defenders via buyouts and exceptions following earlier signings of Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.
- Luka Doncic personally recruited Smart, underscoring the growing influence of star players in shaping the franchise’s offseason roster decisions.