The 2025 edition of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas has begun, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ search for upgrades up and down their roster continues along.

According to ClutchPoints Senior Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, LA is “hoping to reignite trade talks” during Summer League, with one of their potential targets being former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.

Smart, however, is no longer the player he once was.

In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies had to attach a first-round pick just so they could get rid of Smart and his contract, and the Washington Wizards obliged.

Smart once had one of the best contracts in the league, and yet here he is, having little to no trade value whatsoever, which could then pave the way for the Lakers to snag him for cheap.

He’s in the final year of his deal making around $21 million, and Smart, if not traded, appears likely to be headed for the buyout market.

But the Lakers would have many competitors in such a scenario, and trading for Smart allows them to get ahead of the competition in what could be a comeback season of sorts for the 2022 DPOY.

Here’s the package the Lakers must put together to acquire Smart in a trade with the Wizards.

Lakers upgrade their backup point guard

Lakers acquire: Marcus Smart

Wizards acquire: Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, 2032 second-round pick

Wizards guard Marcus Smart (36) smiles during a timeout in the first half again the Boston Celtics at TD Garden
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Towards the end of the 2024-25 season, Gabe Vincent began to round into form for the Lakers, looking like the man they signed off free agency from the Miami Heat in 2023. It was a major bounce-back for Vincent, who played in just 11 games for the Lakers in his disastrous first season in LA.

At the end of the day, Vincent, while a solid 3-and-D bench point guard, could not recapture the form he had for the Miami Heat now that he’s on the Lakers. He averaged 6.4 points on 40 percent shooting last year, and he looms as a huge trade chip for the Lakers now that he’s in the final year of his contract making $11 million.

What made Vincent valuable for the Lakers last season was that he showed up for the majority of the season, suiting up in 72 games and providing some much-needed backcourt versatility for the Purple and Gold. Giving him up for Smart requires the Lakers to take a risk and have faith that the 2022 DPOY isn’t damaged goods quite yet.