Marcus Smart leaving Lakers for Rockets in NBA free agency

Marcus Smart won’t return to the Lakers for the 2026-27 season. The free agent guard is leaving the Lakers for the Rockets in free agency just one year after coming to Los Angeles.The two sides agreed to a 2-year, $13 million deal (plus a player option for the second year) earlier Wednesday morning.AdvertisementSmart declined his $5.4 million player option for 2026-27 as part of the two-year, $10.5 million deal he signed with the Lakers last year to become an unrestricted free agent this week. And his decision wasn’t a surprising one considering he outplayed his Lakers’ salary in 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.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 six-game series against the Rockets. Ironically, it’s that same Rockets team that will now employ Smart, who reunites with Rockets coach Ime Udoka in Houston. Smart played for Udoka while Udoka was the Celtics coach during Boston’s run to the 2022 NBA Finals. 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. Smart’s departure marks the second straight offseason the Lakers lost a key free agent to the Rockets after Dorian Finney-Smith lef...