‘Very motivated’ Marcus Smart says Lakers have ‘no ceiling’

El Segundo, California – Check a decisive pass for Luka Doncic months before the opening evening.

Marcus Smart has credited him into a so having recruited him in Los Angeles during his introductory press conference with Lakers on Tuesday.

“When you get a guy like Luka calls … you check, trying to see where you are, to see if you want to come and join something special he is trying to do here,” said smart. “For him, saying that he can really use my help, it meant a lot.”

Smart, who authorized the exemptions after concluding a buyout with Washington Wizards, signed an $ 11 million two -year -old agreement with the Lakers, said sources previously in ESPN. The Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin guards gave up to have access to the biannual exception to sign Smart, 31, for more than the minimum of the veteran, sources said.

The defensive player of the year 2022 and the triple member of the first team of any defense will be responsible for providing the Lakers with a defender of an attack point on the perimeter after Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets in the Free Agency. And with 108 career playoffs in his credit – tied with the Timberwolves goalkeeper of Minnesota, Mike Conley, for the 18th of active players – his experience will be welcome with a relatively new group of Lakers who exchanged for Doncic in February and is trained by JJ Redick, entering his second season on the touch line. With LeBron James, n ° 1 in matches of all time in playoffs in the mixture, of course.

“Just to be me,” said Smart when asked what his role in the team would be. “Come and do what I do and it’s [being] A tenacious defender, just bringing the intensity I bring, my leadership, my basketball Qi too. But just be the pest that I have always been. “”

The fact that Donic is so vigilant in his Smart pursuit is certainly a good sign for the way he considers his long -term allegiance to the franchise. Donteic has two more years on his contract with the, including a player option for 2026-27. However, Lakers will be able to offer the 26 -year -old superstar an extension of $ 222 million over four years to August 2, according to Bobby Marks in ESPN.

Smart is one of the four new faces to join the team during the offseason, with the Center Deandre Ayton and the striker Jake Laravia, the two free agent signatures, and the choice of second -round draft Adou Thiero. The won 50 games and won the seeded n ° 3 in the Western conference crowded last season before being ousted by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoff series in five games.

Smart said it was equipped to hold out in the West, which is just as competitive in 2025-2010 with the title champion Oklahoma City Thunder and renovated Denver Nuggets and List Rockets offering great challenges – to appoint a few teams.

“I think we get stuck up with the best of them,” said Smart. “And I think we can [compete]. Our ceiling is high. I think there is no ceiling. I think that if we all lock ourselves and come and do what we are supposed to do, we can have a very good blow. “”

After spending the first nine years of his career with the Boston Celtics, the franchise that wrote it n ° 6 in 2014 (when it worked before the draft and selected Julius Randle at n ° 7), Smart only played 54 games in the last two seasons with Washington and the Memphis Grizzlies due to injuries.

“I’m very motivated,” said smart. “The last two years for me have been, in my eyes, a disappointment. Wounds have somehow stopped me and have retained me. But, as I said to my wife and family, everything happens for a reason. And it’s funny 12 years ago, I could have been here and now it’s the full circle and I’m there.”