After being drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Marcus Smart became very well acquainted with the NBA playoffs, as the team was in contention for an NBA championship every year that the point guard was in Boston.
And then, after the 2023 season, the former Defensive Player of the Year received somewhat of a rude awakening, as the team traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in the same deal that delivered Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards and Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics.
Since then, Smart has yet to return to the NBA playoffs, and after recently reaching a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, the point guard opened up on where his mindset is at now that he’s back on a team that is sure to fight for an NBA title.
“I’m very motivated. The last two years for me was, in my eyes, a disappointment. Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back,” Smart said in an interview. “Like I told my wife and my family, everything happens for a reason. It’s funny that 12 years ago, I could have been here. And now, it is full circle and I’m here.
After injuries kept him off the hardwood for a majority of the 2023-24 season and a lackluster 2024-25 season, Smart was traded to the Wizards to finish out the year.
After being waived over the weekend by the Wizards, Smart signed with the Lakers Tuesday, where he will join fellow stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James (hopefully) as the Los Angeles team looks to tie their rivals and Smart’s former squad in all-time NBA championships.
