The Los Angeles Lakers made an addition to the team over the weekend, signing Marcus Smart after he agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards. Smart is known as a defensive guard, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022. He's also a winner, which probably matters the most when talking about what the Lakers need on the team, and the experience that he has can help.

Going into the next season, people should expect Smart to look a little different, as he plans to be slimmer than he has been in his career, according to the Stein Line.

“I'm likewise told that Smart (like Dončić) has been working hard on his body this summer. Conditioning was an undeniable issue for Smart last season, but the Lakers were convinced during their pursuit that they would see a sleeker version of the 2021-22 DPOY,” the Stein Line wrote.

Being more in shape is never a bad thing, and as long as Smart can still guard at a high level, that should be fine. The Lakers got a good player in Smart, and though he may not be the same player that he was years ago, he still has the skills to make a difference on a team.

Marcus Smart signs with Lakers

One person who was instrumental in getting Smart to join the Lakers and it was Luka Doncic, according to Marc Stein.

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“Lakers star Luka Dončić made a direct recruiting pitch to Marcus Smart this week that resonated with the veteran guard, league sources tell @TheSteinLine, after Smart's agent Jason Glushon was granted permission by the Wizards to explore potential post-buyout landing spots,” Stein wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The narrative around the Lakers is that they will be following Doncic's lead, and if he wanted Smart, they were going to do what it took to sign him.

This Lakers team is starting to fill up on pieces that will be helpful throughout the season, and the hope is that everyone clicks. There is still a chance that they will make more moves, and there have been rumors that players such as Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht could be on the trade block.

The next goal for the Lakers is to find some more wing players who are known for being 3-and-D. In a crowded Western Conference, they'll have to do whatever they can to stay relevant.

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