Marcus Smart declines player option with Lakers, becoming free agent

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Los Angeles Laker starting guard Marcus Smart will decline his $5.4 million player option for 2026-27 and become an unrestricted free agent this week. 

Smart had until Monday to make a decision on the option he had in his contract as part of the two-year, $10.5 million deal he signed with the Lakers last year. 

His decision wasn’t a surprising one considering he outplayed the $5.1 million salary he signed for with the Lakers for 2025-26.

Smart, 32, averaged 9.3 points, 3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 62 games (54 starts) for the Lakers last season — his most games played in a regular season since 2021-22. 

It was also his first time playing at least 60 games during a regular season since his final year with the Boston Celtics in 2022-23, with Smart having back-to-back injury-riddled seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.

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Smart upped his averages to 12.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1 block during the playoffs, playing a pivotal role in the Lakers’ first-round series victory over the Houston Rockets before they were swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

He averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks in the five-game series against the Rockets. 

A three-time All-Defense first team honoree (2019, ‘20, ‘22) and the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Smart was the Lakers’ best defender for most of the season. 

The Rockets are expected to show interest in Smart, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, once free agency officially starts Tuesday afternoon.