OKLAHOMA CITY — After reaching a buyout with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers' Marcus Smart yearned for a winning environment ahead of the 2025-26 season, and pitched his case to head coach, JJ Redick. Following a 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Smart didn't hold back on how Thunder dominated. Still, he's eager for the bounce back, as the 31-year-old guard believes in this year's Lakers team reaching their full potential.
This is the opportunity Smart was asking Redick during free agency — a chance to be a part of a winning culture with championship aspirations. Smart looked back on his talk with the Lakers head coach, which led to Marcus signing a two-year contract.
“I got a lot left in the tank, just wanted him to know that I had that,” Smart tells ClutchPoints. “Unfortunately, I've just been on teams that kind of got lost in the sauce—teams tanking, team not on TV, smaller markets. So, for me, it's getting back to making an impact on a winning team.”
Smart signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Lakers. Starting in eight of his first 10 games, Smart he' s averaging 9.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Smart finished with nine points, one rebounds, and a steal in Tuesday's loss to the Thunder.
How JJ Redick saw himself in Lakers' Marcus Smart
Before facing the Thunder, coach JJ Redick revealed that Marcus Smart's free-agency pitch to join the Lakers sounded a lot like a younger version of himself, as a player, making his pitch to coach Doc Rivers. Ahead of the 2013-14 season, Redick wanted to join the Clippers, who had finished with the fourth-best record (56-26) in the Western Conference the season prior.
Redick discussed Smart's pitch to join the Lakers during his pregame media availability on Tuesday.
“It was a similar conversation I had with Doc Rivers when I was pitching to join the Clippers. I told Doc I needed to be a part of a winning team. I needed to be a part of a relevant team — that's really important to me. For Marcus, starting his career in Boston, being in the NBA Finals, and being on a bunch of playoff teams that made these runs, he craves that as well.
“We've discussed it early, it's been discussed since; that environment creates an opportunity for him to use his voice, which is another thing we talked about in free agency. Another thing we've talked about since is how he can help on the leadership side,” Redick concluded.
Lakers’ JJ Redick talks about how the pitch he made to Marcus Smart in free agency was similar to a conversation he had with Doc Rivers before joining the Clippers as a player
“I told Doc I needed to be a part of a winning team. I needed to be a part of a relevant team” pic.twitter.com/UfhsTbGpQ1
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) November 13, 2025
The Lakers will face the Pelicans on Wednesday.
