Mr. Pei takes action again! Smart signed the Lakers to assist Doncic in the championship, and will he copy the story of Rondo?

On July 20, the Lakers gained another gain in the buyout market. According to ESPN's famous reporter Charane, Marcus Smart has reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards and will sign a two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers after the clarification period, of which the second year is the player option. It is reported that Doncic contacted Smart and made it clear that he wanted to fight alongside this powerful player who was both offensive and defensive. The Suns and the Bucks also pursued Smart, and he finally decided to go to the Lakers to be Doncic and James' helper. According to another NBA reporter David Aldridge, the Lakers' initial goal was Anthony Melton, hoping to introduce him to fill the outside defense vacancy, but according to sources, Melton's current name is linked to the Warriors, although there is no signing yet.

The Lakers plan to sack Milton in order to sign Smart. Milton's $3 million contract is about to be converted into full guarantee next season, and the Lakers will not lose salary if they have sacked him now. Milton played 30 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

It is worth mentioning that salary expert Bobby Max analyzed the Lakers' salary situation. The Lakers were only $909,000 below the first tycoon line, and they had to clear their salary space to use the biennial special case worth $5.1 million. Even if the Lakers cut Milton, their salary space is still not enough to sign Smart. Bobby Max pointed out on Twitter that Jordan Goodwin's contract worth $2.3 million next season is guaranteed for only $25,000. This means that the Lakers may cut Goodwin and Milton together.

Of course, another option for the Lakers is to make a deal to make room for salary.

Smart is currently 31 years old and is the No. 6 show in 2014. He debuted at the Celtics. He is 1.93 meters tall and plays in the point guard position. After entering the NBA, his defensive ability has been highlighted. He has been selected into the Best Defensive First Team three times and was elected the Most Valuable Defensive Player in the 2021-22 season.

However, the Celtics traded Smart to the Grizzlies in 2023, and in this tripartite deal between the Celtic Grizzlies and the Wizards, the Celtics got Porzingis. After leaving the Celtics, Smart fell into a career trough, both suffering from injuries to the Grizzlies and Wizards, and has only played 54 games in total in the past two seasons.

Middle last season, Smart was traded to the Wizards by the Grizzlies. He played 15 games for the Wizards, averaging 18.7 minutes per game, scoring 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals, shooting percentage of 44.0%, three-point shooting percentage of 39.2%, and free throw percentage of 68.6%. The healthy Smart is indeed a defensive expert, and he can defend multiple positions and can defend against the big with the small.

If Smart stays healthy, he is indeed an excellent championship puzzle that can greatly help Doncic and James to win the championship. The Lakers have won Ayton and Smart in the buyout market, which can be regarded as winners in the bargaining market. In addition, the Lakers also signed pitcher Laravia in the free agent market and won Thiero in the draft. The Lakers' lineup configuration has indeed been upgraded to a certain level compared to the end of the 2024-25 season.

The Western Internal Volleyball is becoming increasingly fierce. In addition to the defending champion Thunder, the Nuggets, Rockets, and Clippers have all signed up for reinforcements. The Lakers did not make big deals this summer, and the buyout market is Pelinka's main battlefield. It is worth mentioning that the last famous Celtic point guard won the championship after joining the Lakers, and he was Rondo. Can Smart replicate Rondo's story?