Marcus Smart, the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2022, says is "means a lot" to be recruited to join Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Heat Eyeing Warriors’ NBA Champion Defensive Guard After Marcus Smart-Lakers News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Heat have continued to strike out on key free agents throughout the 2025 NBA offseason.

Luka Dončić is evidently a playmaker on and off the court. Bringing Marcus Smart to the Los Angeles Lakers was a team effort, one in which Dončić played a meaningful role. On Tuesday, Smart spoke with reporters for his introductory Lakers news conference and credited the recruiting efforts of Dončić as one reason why he's in Los Angeles after reaching a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards.

Perhaps the claims that incoming Lakers guard Marcus Smart has declined, especially on defense, have been greatly exaggerated.

The Phoenix Suns have been chasing a familiar path of late, looking to add a veteran point guard to bolster the position. Shams Charania recently broke the news of Marcus Smart signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have been in the news quite often over the last couple of weeks. After reports came out that the Lakers wanted to move on from James following his decision to opt in to the final year of his contract,