Latest news with #NBADefensivePlayeroftheYear
Economic Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
Marcus Smart joins Lakers after Wizards buyout, reportedly recruited by Luka Doncic
Marcus Smart reportedly picked the Lakers for $11 million over other suitors after a buyout from the Wizards. (Image: Instagram/Marcus Smart) Veteran guard Marcus Smart has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and has signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The move came after Smart cleared waivers on Saturday, July 19, and chose the Lakers over other interested Milwaukee Bucks had been looking to add backcourt depth since waiving Damian Lillard to create cap space for center Myles Turner. They signed Cole Anthony on July 12 and held positive discussions with Smart after he became available. Smart, a three-time All-Defensive First Team selection and the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, opted for the Lakers' offer. His new contract includes a player option for the 2026–27 season, allowing flexibility ahead of next summer's free agency. As per ESPN's Shams Charania, Luka Doncic personally contacted Smart, urging him to join the Lakers. Los Angeles viewed Smart's tenacious perimeter defense and veteran leadership as a key addition to their roster. Marcus Smart is a 31‑year‑old NBA guard renowned for his tenacious defense and leadership. A Sixth Overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2014 draft, he earned three All‑Defensive First Team honors and was named 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Traded to the Washington Wizards in 2023, Smart continued to showcase his on‑ball pressure and playmaking. In July 2025, after a buyout, he signed a two‑year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, including a 2026–27 player option. Known for hustle, clutch shooting, and veteran savvy, Smart immediately bolsters L.A.'s perimeter defense.
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Marcus Smart plans to sign with LA Lakers on 2-year, $11 million deal
Veteran guard Marcus Smart has reached a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of Smart's plans told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the moves are official. The Lakers will get depth in the backcourt and a solid defender with significant playoff experience. His scoring numbers took a dip last season, and he has played in just 54 games over the past two seasons. Smart, the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, came to Washington from Memphis in a February trade deadline deal. The Wizards received a first-round pick from Memphis in the trade. Jake LaRavia was dealt from Memphis to Sacramento in the three-team deal, and he is now with the Lakers on two-year, $10 million deal he agreed to during free agency. Smart, 31, played in 34 games last season (15 for the Wizards due to multiple injuries, including an injury to his right index finger that sidelined him for 22 games. For his 11-year career, including the first nine with the Boston Celtics, Smart has averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals and shot 38.8% from the field. He has made the All-Defensive team three times.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Marcus Smart joins Lakers after Wizards buyout, reportedly recruited by Luka Doncic
Veteran guard Marcus Smart has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards and has signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers . The move came after Smart cleared waivers on Saturday, July 19, and chose the Lakers over other interested teams. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology MBA Cybersecurity Healthcare PGDM Degree Data Science Leadership others Finance Design Thinking Operations Management Product Management Data Analytics Management Digital Marketing Public Policy Data Science MCA Project Management healthcare CXO Artificial Intelligence Others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details The Milwaukee Bucks had been looking to add backcourt depth since waiving Damian Lillard to create cap space for center Myles Turner. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo They signed Cole Anthony on July 12 and held positive discussions with Smart after he became available. Smart, a three-time All-Defensive First Team selection and the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year , opted for the Lakers' offer. His new contract includes a player option for the 2026–27 season, allowing flexibility ahead of next summer's free agency. Live Events As per ESPN's Shams Charania, Luka Doncic personally contacted Smart, urging him to join the Lakers. Los Angeles viewed Smart's tenacious perimeter defense and veteran leadership as a key addition to their roster. About Marcus Smart Marcus Smart is a 31‑year‑old NBA guard renowned for his tenacious defense and leadership. A Sixth Overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2014 draft, he earned three All‑Defensive First Team honors and was named 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Traded to the Washington Wizards in 2023, Smart continued to showcase his on‑ball pressure and playmaking. In July 2025, after a buyout, he signed a two‑year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, including a 2026–27 player option. Known for hustle, clutch shooting, and veteran savvy, Smart immediately bolsters L.A.'s perimeter defense.
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Report: Lakers Land Key Piece in Major Free Agency Decision
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers had been very quiet entering Saturday when it comes to offseason roster additions. Despite being surrounded by a lot of rumors, the Lakers had added just two players. While fans like the moves to sign Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, those two moves alone were not going to make the team a championship contender. Surrounding Luka Doncic with the best pieces possible to win now has been an obvious priority. However, Los Angeles has also wanted to keep their long-term financial flexibility in the process. Marcus Smart #36 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 11, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Marcus Smart #36 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 11, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo byOn Saturday afternoon, the Lakers struck again in free agency. They have agreed to sign veteran guard Marcus Smart to a two-year, $11 million contract following his buyout from the Washington Wizards. Read more: NBA Scout Brutally Rips Into Lakers' LeBron James for Offseason Drama That report was first shared by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. "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," Charania wrote on X. "A return to a grand stage for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year." Smart is a nice addition for a Los Angeles team that badly needed a better defensive mentality. He has been known as an elite perimeter defender throughout his NBA career. Last season, the 31-year-old guard played for both the Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. He didn't play much, as he dealt with injury issues and simply a lack of role. In the 34 games and seven starts that he did play in, Smart averaged nine points per game to go along with 3.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 20 minutes per game. He also shot 39.3 percent from the floor and 34.8 percent from the three-point line. Read more: Knicks Linked to Potential Blockbuster Move for New Star Granted, this isn't the move that will power the Lakers to a championship. It's simply a great depth addition who will help towards that goal. Doncic and LeBron James will need to be the driving force for Los Angeles. Ayton will also be asked to step up his game a notch. Adding Smart on a deal worth an average of $5.5 million per season is a steal. If he can stay healthy, there is no question the veteran wing can help the Lakers compete at a higher level. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 rookies (Yang Hansen!) who look like steals during NBA 2K26 Summer League
As we near the end of NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, we have some sense of which players drafted outside the lottery may return positive value. While top players like Cooper Flagg and other lottery picks like Kon Knueppel and Tre Johnson may have gotten the most headlines and attention, there were plenty of fascinating performances from other incoming pros that deserve attention as well. Usually, for this type of exercise, we would look at advanced metrics to help contextualize the play. However, it is not the wisest to invest too much stock in players who performed well for catch-all numbers (via The F5): "All-in-one metrics like Game Score and Daily RAPM Estimate (DRE) have at best a weak relationship between summer league and the regular season. These metrics attempt to summarize a player's performance by assigning weights to different box score stats and summing them up into a single number. Both metrics reward scoring efficiency and penalize turnovers and fouls, which tend to be more common at summer league. Ultimately, I wouldn't recommend putting too much stock in them unless of course they paint a favorable picture of your favorite player." Instead, per Owen Phillips, it is better to look at some of the numbers that typically translate from NBA Summer League to the regular season. Some of those stats include 3-pointers attempted, assists, blocks, total rebounds, and offensive rebounds. 1. Yang Hansen TEAM: Portland Trail Blazers PICK: 16 Arguably the most exciting overall player in NBA 2K26 Summer League is Portland Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen. Once considered the most surprising pick in the 2025 NBA Draft but quickly became one of the most anticipated prospects to watch in Las Vegas. Yang is averaging 3.3 blocks per 36 minutes, which is the second-most among all drafted players. He has multiple blocks in all but one of his four appearances thus far. As a playmaker, he has already had multiple games with at least five assists. Yang is averaging 5.5 assists per 36, which ranks eighth-most among drafted played who have logged at least 50 minutes. Something else that is fairly encouraging: Yang has attempt at least one 3-pointer in each of his games played, shooting beyond the arc as many as six times during one of his appearances in the starting lineup. He has shown an eagerness to stretch the floor that will help his ability to play alongside other bigs on Portland's roster like Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III. 2. Joan Beringer TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves PICK: 17 While the Timberwolves already have a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year from France on its roster, they now have another emerging French center developing in the wings. Beringer leads all draft picks with 3.9 blocks per 36 minutes, which is incredibly exciting for his potential as a rim protector. He had six blocks in his first appearance on the court and across four games, he has blocked more shots (10) than he has missed from the field (9) on offense. He is also averaging 4.6 offensive rebounds per 36, which ranks second-most among drafted players who have logged at least 50 minutes. Beringer needs to foul less often, recording seven (!) in each of his last two appearances on the court. But that is something that will come with time. Maybe he is not reinventing the wheel here but with a 7'4.50'' wingspan and 9'3.00'' standing reach, there is an obvious value he can return for Minnesota. 3. Nique Clifford TEAM: Sacramento Kings PICK: 24 Before spending too much time gawking over his stat line, we should mention that former Colorado State star Nique Clifford is already 23 years old. He was born the exact same day as Jalen Green, who is already heading into his fifth season in the NBA. So the development curve should look different for Clifford than it does for other rookies. However, that does not make his accomplishments any less productive. Catch-all metrics are not the best evaluation tool for NBA Summer League. But it is still worth noting that Clifford (20.5) leads all drafted players in Game Score. He was also named the best rookie in Las Vegas by ESPN's Kevin Pelton. Clifford is averaging 6.7 assists per 36 minutes, which ranks second-most among drafted players who have logged at least 50 minutes. His assist rate was one of the highest among all participants in Vegas. He has scored at leas 17 points in each of his four games, nearing recording a triple-double (19-7-9) during a win against the Cavaliers. 4. Liam McNeeley TEAM: Charlotte Hornets PICK: 29 One surprisingly impressive performance during NBA 2K26 Summer League came from Liam McNeeley, who trailed only Clifford in Game Score (19.2) among rookies who logged at least 50 minutes. The former UConn forward is averaging 8.7 attempts on 3-pointers per 36 minutes, which ranks fifth-most among drafted players with at least 50 minutes played. McNeeley is also cleaning the glass very well for his position, averaging 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. That ranks sixth-most among drafted players who have logged at least 50 minutes. There were also some impressive passes, including this alley-oop connection with Hornets rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner. Charlotte may have found great value at the end of the first round with this Big East Freshman of the Year and former McDonald's All-American. 5. Brooks Barnhizer TEAM: Oklahoma City Thunder PICK: 44 Oklahoma City may not have a lot of playing time to offer Brooks Barnhizer next season, especially considering he will begin his professional career on a two-way contract. But it is impossible to talk about the top rookies at NBA 2K26 Summer League without mentioning Barnhizer, who stuffed the stat sheet every time he stepped on the court. Once again, it is not a good idea to overreact to catch-all metrics during NBA Summer League. Barnhizer, however, leads all drafted players who have logged at least 50 minutes in Daily RAPM Estimate. The former Northwestern standout had multiple games with at least 17 points, also recording two games with at least six (!) or more steals. He managed to do it all without fouling or turning the ball over very often, either, which is helpful. There was plenty to like about his rebounding, too, and his overall productivity should translate well at the next level.
