Walking away from a bigger paycheck is rare in the NBA. Marcus Smart did it anyway, rejecting a richer offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets, the same team his Lakers knocked out of the playoffs in April.
Speaking to the Houston Chronicle, the veteran guard called the Lakers’ proposal disrespectful. He declined to reveal the actual figure.
Why Marcus Smart Said No to Los Angeles
Smart believes his play deserved more, especially while weaker performers around the league cashed in. He added that the Lakers would not give him the contract security he was after.
The timing made the snub sting. According to The Athletic, the Lakers handed out nearly $480 million across 26 contract years this offseason while reshaping the roster after LeBron James’ exit. That spree included four-year deals for Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Houston landed him on a two-year, $12.4 million contract, with a player option on the second season. The deal averages about $6.2 million a year.
A Homecoming and a Familiar Coach
Smart, 32, grew up in Flower Mound, Texas, and has cousins and extended family in Houston. He said the Rockets gave him the chance to secure what he had earned for his family, with options on both salary and length.
The move also reunites him with Ime Udoka. The Rockets coach led Boston in 2021-22, the season Smart won Defensive Player of the Year. Udoka says the pair see the game exactly the same way.
Marcus Smart averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals over 62 games in Los Angeles last season. His defense was a big reason the Lakers upset Houston in the first round. The Rockets are now his fifth NBA team, after the Celtics, who drafted him sixth overall in 2014, the Grizzlies, the Wizards and the Lakers.
Circle Monday, November 30. That is when the Lakers visit Houston for the first meeting of the season, and Smart will have a point to prove against his old team.
