The Los Angeles Lakers were quick to take action regarding what the team needs. During the 2024-25 NBA season, it was evident that they needed a solid big man after trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. At the start of free agency, they signed Deandre Ayton to a two-year contract.
Ayton isn’t on the same level as Davis, but he’s been a solid starting center since he entered the NBA. Additionally, the team signed a reliable shooter in Jake LaRavia, a 37.1% shooter from downtown, to a two-year contract.
The latest addition to the roster is veteran guard Marcus Smart. The former Boston Celtics guard has played for underachieving teams over the past two seasons. The Lakers signed Smart to a two-year deal.
BREAKING: Marcus Smart has agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and intends to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. A return to a grand stage for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/8g9Bxzz11E
Now that he’s with the Lakers, he adds a defensive tenacity that could help them become a serious playoff team.
Following the moves they made this summer, one anonymous executive believes the team has “gotten better.”
The executive went as far as to say that the team could make a deep playoff run, even hinting at a potential appearance in the Western Conference finals.
“They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center,” the NBA exec said. “They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart. I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively. And everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss. He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.”
The only problem the Lakers encountered last year as a third seed in the West was the lack of a reliable center. They depended on Jaxson Hayes, who was limited by head coach JJ Redick, in their first-round battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now, they have a strong big man, who many believe could fit well with Doncic’s pass-first style on the court.
