<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-great-battle-anthony-edwards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marcus Smart gearing up for ‘great’ battle with Anthony Edwards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0244.jpeg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Marcus Smart gearing up for ‘great’ battle with Anthony Edwards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T23:08:53-07:00">October 23rd, 11:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T23:08:53-07:00">October 23rd, 11:08pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers welcome a familiar face on Friday in the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season. One of the Lakers’ major issues during that series was their lack of a true defensive option on Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, but they believe they may <a href="https://x.com/Dave_Yapkowitz/status/1979402323777720522" rel="noopener">have an answer this season</a> in Marcus Smart.</p><p>Marcus Smart figures to be one of the Lakers’ primary options on defense against Anthony Edwards during their playoff rematch against the Timberwolves, and after team practice on Thursday Smart spoke about getting ready to match up defensively against one of the NBA’s brightest stars.</p><p>“He’s a big guard, it’s gonna take a full team effort. But my job when I’m on him is just try to make everything as tough as possible,” Smart said. “It’s gonna be a great battle. It’s gonna be physical He’s a great player, I’m a great defender. Like I said, my job is to make it as hard as possible for him.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-intends-sign-la-wizards-buyout">Lakers acquired Smart in the offseason after he reached a contract buyout</a> with the Washington Wizards. He signed a two-year deal with the Lakers and figures to play a major role in the rotation. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-timberwolves-physicality-game-1">Timberwolves played a physical style of basketball</a> in the playoffs and the Lakers were unable to match that.</p><p>Enter Smart.  The 11-year veteran has built his career off of playing a physical brand of basketball. He is one of only guard to have won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in the last 30 years since Gary Payton did so in 1995-96. It’s that physicality that he’s hoping to instill in the rest of the team this season.</p><p>“Lead by example. It’s kind of hard to put that fight in your guys if you’re not out there doing it,” Smart said. “So for me it’s all about if I’m gonna put up, I got to put up or shut up. I got to do it. If I want somebody else to follow my lead, I have to lead by example.”</p><p>Last season, Smart appeared in a total of 34 games, including seven starts, between the Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 39.3 percent shooting from the field, 34.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 76.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>In the Lakers’ season opener against the Warriors, Smart finished with nine points in 23 minutes while shooting 3-of-6 from the field. Overall, his minutes were solid and he showed glimpses of the defensive intensity he can bring.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marcus Smart gearing up for ‘great’ battle with Anthony Edwards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-gives-la-toughest-advice-0-1-start-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Marcus Smart gives Lakers ‘toughest’ advice amid 0-1 start to season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marcus-Smart.jpg"><figcaption>William Liang-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Marcus Smart gives Lakers ‘toughest’ advice amid 0-1 start to season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T15:09:56-07:00">October 23rd, 3:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T15:37:12-07:00">October 23rd, 3:37pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Marcus Smart is helping the Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-helpful-film-session-warriors-loss">Lakers not lose confidence following their season-opening loss</a> to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.</p><p>Smart began his 12th year in the NBA, his first with the Lakers. He spent most of his ongoing career with the Boston Celtics before they sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a multi-team deal during the 2023 offseason. Memphis traded him to the Washington Wizards last season, where he only appeared in 15 contests for the remainder of the campaign.</p><p>Smart joined Los Angeles this past offseason, bolstering the guard depth with experience as a playmaker and defender. He hopes to elevate the team on both sides of the ball, which he <a href="https://x.com/mcten/status/1981452007656583499" rel="noopener">emphasized on the team being tough</a> through the ups and downs of the season while conversing with media on Thursday.</p><p>“The toughest team sets the rules, that’s the motto. I’ve been in this league for 12 years and it has always been a model for me. The team that comes out more physical, the momentum kind of goes their way. That is how it is, so we want to be the toughest from start to finish,” Smart said, via ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“The toughest team sets the rules, that’s the motto.” Marcus Smart reveals his advice to the Lakers about how they should be establishing physicality night to night. <a href="https://t.co/dTT3axQt5B">pic.twitter.com/dTT3axQt5B</a></p><p>— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1981452007656583499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>What lies ahead for Marcus Smart, Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Marcus-Smart-2.jpg"><figcaption>William Liang-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s clear that Marcus Smart’s experience throughout his career, including multiple playoff runs and one NBA Finals run with the Celtics in 2022, will allow him to give the Lakers an edge in being a solid unit.</p><p>Los Angeles will rely on the production of stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves while LeBron James remains out until November. In the meantime, they will look for Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Smart to be reliable pieces in the rotation.</p><p>The Lakers have potential to be a fierce opponent in the Western Conference when all their best players are available. However, it will take the supporting cast for them to take the next step of being in the conversation of title contention.</p><p>The Lakers will continue preparation for their next matchup, being at home. They host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Marcus Smart gives Lakers ‘toughest’ advice amid 0-1 start to season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-important-preseason-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Marcus Smart provides important preseason injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Smart-speaks.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers’ Marcus Smart provides important preseason injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-09T15:48:16-07:00">October 9th, 3:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-09T15:48:16-07:00">October 9th, 3:48pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers received word that star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-lebron-james-will-miss-start-of-2025-26-season-with-mysterious-side-injury">LeBron James would miss</a> the beginning portion of the regular season due to injury, as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. It’s not a great sign for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-jj-reddick-lebron-james-preseason-update">a Lakers team</a> that is looking to hit the ground running in Luka Doncic’s first full season with the franchise.</p><p>On Thursday, the Lakers also <a href="https://x.com/jovanbuha/status/1976375227287568487" rel="noopener">got an injury update</a> on one of their key offseason signees, guard Marcus Smart.</p><p>“Marcus Smart said he plans to take things ‘day-by-day’ with his Achilles tendinopathy. He plans on playing in the preseason but isn’t sure if he’ll be available on Sunday yet,” reported Jovan Buha on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The Lakers signed Smart this offseason on the buyout market in an attempt to help shore up their backcourt defense, which was predictably putrid during the team’s first round playoff loss vs the Minnesota Timberwolves last year with Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic in the backcourt.</p><p>Smart won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 and was a starter on the NBA finalist Boston Celtics that year, but was traded in the 2023 offseason and has been off the court more than on it over the past two years.</p><p>However, if he is able to stay somewhat healthy this year, he could end up being a steal for the Lakers.</p><p>Still, the main news of the day on Thursday revolved around James, who recently conned the NBA world into thinking he was retiring in what turned out to be an ill-conceived ad for Hennessy. James is widely considered to still be an All-Star level player when he’s healthy, but that may not be the case this year if this injury is a sign of things to come.</p><p>In any case, the Lakers will kick off their 2025-26 season against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ Marcus Smart provides important preseason injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-reveals-marcus-smart-help-defensive-transformation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ Luka Doncic reveals how Marcus Smart will help with defensive transformation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Lakers-guard-Luka-Doncic_ca4698.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers’ Luka Doncic reveals how Marcus Smart will help with defensive transformation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-02T22:28:21-07:00">August 2nd, 10:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-02T22:33:16-07:00">August 2nd, 10:33pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-165-million-contract-extension">Los Angeles Lakers secured Luka Doncic’s commitment this offseason</a> by signing him to a three-year, $165 million contract extension, committing him to the franchise through the 2028-29 season and removing his player option for 2026-27. With LeBron James potentially entering his final year with the franchise, the Lakers have now positioned Doncic as the clear face of the team’s future. A major part of that vision includes a defensive overhaul, one that Doncic believes Marcus Smart will significantly impact.</p><p>Speaking at a recent media conference, the 26-year-old Slovenian credited Smart with being a catalyst for change, <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1951782163973570706" rel="noopener">particularly on the defensive end</a>.</p><p>“I think way better. Obviously we got Marcus, so he’s gonna teach me some things. But obviously that is going to help a lot,” Luka Doncic said, referencing the Lakers’ defensive shortcomings during their 4-1 first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>That series exposed their need for perimeter defense, and Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, arrives as a direct solution.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-rumors-luka-doncic-la-marcus-smart">Doncic actively recruited Smart</a>, who signed after securing a buyout with the Washington Wizards. Alongside Smart, the Lakers also landed Deandre Ayton this summer. These moves show the Lakers’ aggressive push to build around Doncic, who is now the only player under contract past the 2027-28 season. With over $100 million in potential cap space by 2026, Los Angeles could chase future free agents like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Donovan Mitchell.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-luka-doncic-bold-prediction-leveling-up-conditioning">Doncic’s offseason transformation hasn’t gone unnoticed either</a>. After being limited to just 50 games in 2024-25 due to a left calf strain, he has dropped nearly 20 pounds. He told Men’s Health, “Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” crediting a gluten-free, zero-sugar diet and intense physical training.</p><p>Last season, despite injury, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. In 2023-24, he led the league with 33.9 PPG, the highest since James Harden’s 34.3 in 2019-20.</p><p>Luka Doncic remains one of only two NBA players, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, to average at least 28 points per game in each of the last four seasons. He has also averaged 25+ points, eight+ rebounds, and seven+ assists every year since 2021-22, a feat matched only by Nikola Jokic.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ Luka Doncic reveals how Marcus Smart will help with defensive transformation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/miami-heat/nba-rumors-heat-decided-against-terry-rozier-marcus-smart-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Heat decided against Terry Rozier-Marcus Smart trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Marcus-Smart-36-shoots-for-three-over-Miami-Heat-guard-Isaiah-Stevens-4.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Heat decided against Terry Rozier-Marcus Smart trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-29T07:07:21-07:00">July 29th, 7:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-29T07:08:34-07:00">July 29th, 7:08am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-bucks-hawks-among-teams-marcus-smart-trade">Miami Heat reportedly considered a trade</a> involving veteran point guards Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart earlier this offseason but <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-the-latest-hottest-and" rel="noopener">ultimately chose to keep</a> Rozier, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.</p><p>Fischer reported that Miami explored a potential Rozier-for-Smart swap with the Washington Wizards. However, the Heat front office could not reach an internal consensus on whether acquiring Smart would represent a definitive upgrade. Trade talks stalled, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-intends-sign-la-wizards-buyout">Smart eventually agreed to a buyout with Washington</a> on July 19, clearing the way for him to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-marcus-smart-reveals-luka-doncic-recruiting-pitch">sign with the Los Angeles Lakers</a> as a free agent.</p><p>Rozier, 31, remains on the Heat roster as he enters the final season of his contract, which will pay him $26.6 million in 2025–26 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He was traded to Miami during the 2023–24 season after starting the year with the Charlotte Hornets. In 64 total games between the two teams, Rozier averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 39.1% from the field and 29.5% from three — his lowest scoring average since 2018–19 with the Boston Celtics.</p><p>His best stretch came during the first half of the 2023–24 campaign with Charlotte, where he averaged 23.2 points, 6.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game on 45.9% shooting from the field and 35.8% from deep across 30 appearances.</p><h2><b>After Wizards buyout, Marcus Smart joins Lakers as Heat stick with Terry Rozier</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Terry-Rozier-on-March-31-2025-1.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Smart, 31, completed his 11th NBA season with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. After being traded from the Boston Celtics during the 2023 offseason, Smart appeared in just 19 games for the Grizzlies before injuries sidelined him. He was later moved to Washington at the trade deadline but played in only one game for the Wizards, finishing the season with 20 total appearances. Smart averaged nine points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 39.3% from the field and 34.8% from three in 20 minutes per game.</p><p>The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year joined the Lakers following his buyout and is expected to provide backcourt defense and leadership off the bench.</p><p>Miami, meanwhile, is moving forward with its current backcourt rotation. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-former-miami-champion-hits-norman-powell-trade-harsh-reality-check">Heat recently added veteran scorer Norman Powell in a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers</a> and Utah Jazz. The move signals a continued effort to retool the roster following a disappointing 37–45 finish in the 2024–25 season.</p><p>Despite advancing through the Play-In Tournament, Miami was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Powell joining Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, and Rozier entering a contract year, the Heat will look to climb back into contention in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2025–26 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
7.7	1.0	2.0	-	1.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
7.7	1.0	2.0	-	1.0

Marcus Smart

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NBA rumors: Heat decided against Terry Rozier-Marcus Smart trade

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