(Original article published on July 20, author is Kevin Pelton of ESPN website, the content of the article does not represent the translator's opinion)
Smart and the Wizards will join the Lakers for 2 years and $11 million after reaching a buyout: Lakers B
After using the full middle-class special case for center DeAndre Aiton and forward Jack Lavia, the Lakers can still use their biennial special case to provide Smart with contracts that exceed the veteran's basic salary. It will be part of the final year Smart bought out of his contract with the Washington Wizards.
In fact, Smart will replace Jordan Goodwin and Sheik Milton. Both Lakers defenders’ contracts are non-guaranteed, and in order to make room for Smart under the hard salary cap, the Lakers must sack them (Milton’s $3 million salary would have been transferred to security on Monday, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.).
Although Goodwin and Milton sometimes played in the second half of last season, JJ Reddick relied on his starter more on the first round of the playoffs, leaving the two barely able to play. Goodwin played only 31 minutes in this series, while Milton only had 4 minutes of playing time. Given Smart's extensive experience, including 108 playoff games for the Boston Celtics and the honor of the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, he has a better chance of winning Redick's trust and improving the team's shortcomings in the outside depth.
The main problem is what kind of Smart the Lakers get. He struggled with the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of last season, shooting just 36% from the field. Then, before the trade deadline, the Grizzlies sent him to the Washington Wizards for some upcoming contracts.
Smart played only 39 games in two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, during which he failed to play his impact on both offense and defense due to multiple injuries. Although he is only 6 feet 3 inches (190cm), Smart is able to defend against opponents taller than him with his tough style.
In 15 games played for the Wizards, Smart's performance did improve until he withdrew from the game due to injury at the end of the season. Although he has never been an excellent three-point shooter (32% career three-point shooting percentage), he tried 5.9 three-pointers every 36 minutes, forcing defensive players to pay more attention to him than when dealing with Goodwin. Goodwin shot 38% from the regular season, but failed to score any three-pointers in the playoffs.
I would rather D'Anthony Melton play the role of a three-point shooter and defender in the backcourt of the Lakers. If Melton chooses to join other teams – he is rumored to be back in Golden State after a brief period with the Warriors due to ACL surgery last season – then signing S Smart at a reasonable price is a good alternative for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Signing Smart will reduce the flexibility of the Lakers to increase their salary during the season. With 14 players already signed, their total salary will be close to the hard salary cap, leaving only about $1 million in space. The Lakers will have to wait until January to fill the last NBA roster spot, and when trading, they will face the challenge of bringing back higher salaries than giving them.
Original text: Kevin Pelton
Compiled: selu