The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have a clear plan to make roster upgrades this offseason. While this approach is promising, the Lakers risk losing some assets from last year’s team, as players like Marcus Smart are reportedly generating interest as free agents.
Many of the Lakers’ expiring contracts have been viewed as targets this summer. Among these, Austin Reaves was highly sought after. Although interest in Reaves was shut down after the guard was offered a substantial contract extension, the same cannot be said for a player like Marcus Smart.
Reports indicated the Houston Rockets will aggressively pursue Smart and remain the most likely landing spot for the veteran guard, primarily because of his connection with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. While little is known about these conversations, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer noted that Houston’s offer could be enough to convince the former DPOY to leave Los Angeles. They reported:
“One of the strongest things we’ve heard all weekend: Houston’s interest in Marcus Smart … is only sounding more serious. They added that expectations of a three-year offer paying significantly more annually than Smart’s player option have increased the belief that he will opt out and hit free agency Tuesday.”
Marcus Smart currently has a $5.4 million player option for the 2026-27 season. In light of his performance last season, averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 39.5% shooting from the field, it is safe to assume that he is worth more.
For all intents and purposes, Smart would be justified in declining his player option. However, the Rockets’ promise of a three-year contract paying significantly more may put some pressure on the Purple and Gold to raise their offer.
Can The Lakers Match The Rockets’ Offer For Marcus Smart?
It is currently difficult to forecast what Houston’s offer for Marcus Smart may be. However, it is safe to assume that, as things stand, the Rockets may not enjoy as much cap flexibility as the Lakers.
The Rockets are entering the offseason with a roster that is already over the league salary cap of $165 million. With their payroll currently at $184.9 million, Houston is $16.1 million below the tax and $25.1 million below the first apron.
Given that they have only nine players on the books at the moment (including player and team options), the Rockets may have to be judicious with offering contracts.
To address this, the Rockets have reportedly indicated their willingness to offload players such as Dorian Finney-Smith to create more cap room. However, should they fail to do so, it is safe to say that the Lakers have the upper hand in a bidding war.
Even after offering Austin Reaves a new contract, the Purple and Gold have ample cap room ($28.9 million) to work with. Although much of this will be utilized to bring back players like Rui Hachimura or Luke Kennard, it can be argued that retaining Marcus Smart is a bigger priority.
While his stats may not be the best, Smart’s impact was far greater than the numbers will ever reveal. As the defensive anchor, the former DPOY routinely disrupted opponents and forced turnovers. When pairing his hard-nosed defensive effort with his vocal leadership, Smart quickly became a critical piece in the rotation.
Finding a replacement for a player like Marcus Smart is challenging. Given what he brings to the table, especially with his résumé, it can even be argued that there are only a handful of players like Smart in the league right now.
Hence, even though the Rockets pose a threat to the Lakers’ chances of retaining Marcus Smart, it would be advisable for the Purple and Gold to restructure their priorities and match Houston’s offer.
