Marcus Smart didn’t leave Los Angeles quietly, and he made it clear why.
After signing a two-year, $13 million deal with the Houston Rockets, the veteran guard said the Lakers’ first offer crossed a line. Smart described that initial pitch as “disrespectful,” even though Los Angeles eventually came back with more money.
“Smart told The Chronicle that he chose Houston - where he has cousins, extended family, and family friends - despite getting a bigger offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played the 2025-26 season. At the same time, Smart said the Lakers offer, which he declined to specify, was disrespectful,” wrote Varun Shankar.
Smart’s frustration wasn’t just about the number. He pointed to the way his season stacked up against the contract he was offered, saying the production didn’t line up with the respect he felt he had earned.
“First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn’t match the way that I played,” Smart said, “especially when you see guys who played way worse than I did, the offers they’re getting. And then it wasn’t any security that we wanted that they were willing to do.”
The former Defensive Player of the Year gave the Lakers solid minutes in a 53-win season, starting 54 games and helping them get through the first round. In 62 games, he averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks while shooting 39.5% from the field.
But in the end, Los Angeles wasn’t willing to go far enough to keep him. Smart said Houston gave him something the Lakers didn’t: a deal that let him chase what he believes he’s earned, including a $6.3 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
“They gave me an opportunity to be able to go out and try to get what I’ve earned,” Smart added, “and what I’ve been working my tail off to provide for my family is a decent-sized paycheck with obviously years on it, right? Or a big paycheck with fewer years, but to be able to have that option.”
For the Lakers, the move leaves a gap in the backcourt and a familiar question about how they value their role players. For Smart, it’s a fresh start in Houston and a shot at proving the Lakers made the wrong call. Under head coach Ime Udoka, he’s expected to have a significant role, and the early outlook suggests he’ll get the chance to make his case.
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