Sept. 23, 2026, 8:02 p.m. PT
Going into this summer, Marcus Smart was a player the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans were hoping to retain in free agency. The veteran guard, who had been signed by the Lakers last summer to a two-year, $11 million contract, opted out this offseason, and going into the official start of NBA free agency, he was being linked to the Houston Rockets. He ended up signing a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Rockets, allowing him to be closer to his hometown of Flower Mound, Texas, which is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Going to the Rockets will also allow him to reunite with coach Ime Udoka, who was his coach during the 2022-23 season with the Boston Celtics. Per the Houston Chronicle, Smart says the Lakers’ offer in free agency this summer was “disrespectful,” although he didn’t go into specifics.
“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,” wrote Varun Shankar. “At the same time, Smart said the Lakers offer, which he declined to specify, was ‘disrespectful.’
“‘First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn’t match the way that I played,’ he 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.'”
Smart played a large role in the Lakers’ success last season. While he isn’t an offensive threat, and even though he’s a poor 3-point shooter, his versatile and effective defense, ability to serve as a secondary ball-handler and overall resourcefulness and leadership were invaluable. He served as the glue that held the team together as it struggled in December, January and February before it sprinted to a 15-2 record in March. He averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes a game and started in 54 of his 62 games last season. In L.A.’s first-round playoff upset of the Rockets, he stepped up offensively with 61 points in the first three games, all of which were victories. Quentin Grimes, a 26-year-old wing the team signed in July, is expected to replace Smart when it comes to playing the role of its main backcourt and wing defender.
