Rob Pelinka says the Lakers’ approach to Marcus Smart’s extension talks came down to roster direction, not disrespect.
Speaking at a press conference with JJ Redick ahead of the team’s media day, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager responded to Smart’s comments in a conversation with Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, where Smart called the franchise “disrespectful” in the way it handled his contract extension negotiations this summer.
Pelinka pushed back on the idea that the talks were personal. Instead, he said the organization had already made its plan clear: build younger around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and make sure the roster grows on the same timeline.
“I think it goes back to that thesis we talked about. One of the things we really wanted to lean into was a team that lined up in age with Luka and AR. We want this team to grow together, and I think we were very intentional to get younger and deeper.”
That thinking, Pelinka said, carried through the roster.
“So I think if you look at our roster, that thesis was consistent throughout. In terms of the Walker acquisition, it goes back to sort of fundamental, economic principles of supply and demand, right?”
He then explained why the Lakers felt they had to act when the chance to add Walker Kessler came along.
“Twenty-five-year-old two-way centers that are perfectly retrofitted for our two max guys, Luka and Austin, just don’t exist. There’s a scarcity of supply.
It’s… There just is. And if you look at what you could potentially get in the draft or what is potentially going to come in free agency, those centers just don’t exist.”
Pelinka said the presence of a star like Doncic made the decision straightforward.
“So, when the opportunity comes, and you have a superstar like Luka in your building, you have to seize it. And we feel very comfortable and confident about that decision and what we put into it.”
He closed by saying the fit should show up on the floor.
“And I think our fans are going to see it play out. Walker Kessler makes Luka better.
He makes Austin better - and vice versa. So it’s just a perfect fit, and we didn’t see any opportunity like that coming down the pike anytime soon,” Rob Pelinka concluded.
Smart’s side of the story isn’t hard to understand either. The veteran guard is coming off a strong postseason run, one that reminded people he can still impact a game at a high level even at 32.
Across 10 postseason games in 2026, he averaged 12.9 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.4% from the field and 34.0% from three.
He was especially important in the Lakers’ first-round win over the Rockets, when Doncic and Reaves were unavailable for most of the series. Through the first three games, Smart put up 20.3 points, 8.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 52.9% overall and 50.0% from deep, helping the Lakers build a 3-0 lead before Reaves returned.
Even after that kind of postseason showing, Smart reportedly didn’t get the kind of offer he believed matched his value. Instead, he signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Rockets rather than what was reported to be a higher Lakers offer.
That’s the crux of this whole situation: Pelinka says the Lakers were staying true to their long-term plan, while Smart clearly felt the way things were handled crossed a line.
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