How former Celtics G Marcus Smart’s deal with Lakers reportedly came to be

Marcus Good is becoming a member of the Celtics’ prime rival.

The previous Celtics guard is about to signal a two-year, $11 million take care of the Lakers as soon as his buyout with the Wizards is finalized, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday.

Whereas Good technically isn’t a free agent but, his free company course of truly started earlier than Washington finalized his contract buyout. The Wizards granted Good permission to talk with different groups, discussing a potential take care of the Bucks and Suns along with the Lakers, in line with Charania.

In the end, Los Angeles landed Good with the assistance of Luka Doncic. The Lakers star made a “direct recruiting pitch” that “resonated” with Good, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported.

What Doncic advised Good hasn’t been reported, however it may very well be straightforward to see why the veteran guard picked the Lakers over the opposite two groups that confirmed curiosity in him. Los Angeles doubtless has the strongest probability to compete for a title between these three groups, ending with the No. 3 seed within the Western Convention final season earlier than getting eradicated within the first spherical.

Because the Lakers provide Good an opportunity to compete, he’s spent the final two seasons on non-contenders after getting traded by the Celtics within the 2023 offseason. The Grizzlies went 27-55 in 2023-24, with Good taking part in in simply 20 video games in his first 12 months with the staff. This previous season, Good was traded from the Grizzlies to the Wizards on the commerce deadline in February, ending the 12 months with a staff that went 18-64.

Los Angeles won’t have a beginning function accessible for Good, with Austin Reaves and Doncic occupying the backcourt. Nonetheless, Good ought to have a daily spot within the Lakers’ rotation. He’ll doubtless develop into their prime ball handler off the bench, one thing Los Angeles lacked final season. The 2021-22 Defensive Participant of the 12 months winner may also give the Lakers some defensive assist in their backcourt, with Doncic and Reaves continually getting scrutinized for his or her play on that finish of the court docket.

Whether or not Good is the participant that can get the Lakers over the hump, although, clearly stays to be seen. The 31-year-old has handled damage points during the last two seasons. Ankle and finger accidents compelled him to overlook 62 video games in 2023-24, whereas he performed simply 34 video games final season resulting from ankle, knee, shoulder, and finger accidents.

As Good hasn’t persistently seen the court docket during the last two years, his play has statistically taken a dip, too. He averaged 9 factors and three.2 assists per sport final 12 months, which have been the third-worst marks he’s put up in every stat over his 11-year profession.

Good is the Lakers’ third notable pickup in free company this offseason. They signed middle Deandre Ayton and wing Jake LaRavia earlier in July, hoping to fortify their frontcourt and wing depth.

Nonetheless, questions surrounding LeBron James’s future in Los Angeles nonetheless loom. The 40-year-old star picked up his participant choice for the 2025-26 season, however his agent acknowledged that James can be monitoring the Lakers’ offseason strikes to see in the event that they’re taking a win-now strategy. That assertion helped spark commerce rumors.

If James winds up remaining in Los Angeles for the 2025-26 season, Good received’t be the primary former fan favourite Celtics guard he’s performed with throughout his Lakers tenure. Rajon Rondo had two stints with the Lakers (2018-20; 2021-22), serving to Los Angeles win an NBA title in 2020 as he performed a key function off the bench. He grew to become the second participant to win a title with each the Celtics and Lakers.

Good, then again, is searching for his first title. After all, the Celtics received all of it after buying and selling him for Kristaps Porzingis in 2024.

Good was coming into the ultimate season of a four-year, $76.5 million extension he signed with Boston within the 2021 offseason.