The Lakers officially announced the signing of Smart! Wearing the No. 36 jersey in the new season, Pelinka calls him an all-round player

On July 23, the Lakers officially announced the signing of Marcus Smart and posted a poster to welcome him. In the new season, Smart will play in the No. 36 jersey. He will be the first player in the history of the Lakers to wear No. 36. Previous reports said that the Lakers and Smart signed a two-year, $11 million contract. Pelinka, President and General Manager of Basketball Operations of Lakers, said: "Signing players like Marcus Smart will enable us to gain a foothold in the highest level of competition. Marcus fully embodies the concept of 'victory first' - whether it is to contribute key performance on the defensive end or hit important shots at critical moments of fierce games, he is an example. He is well versed in the way of winning the playoffs and will also become an important leader voice in the team. Equipping core stars with all-around players like Marcus is crucial to our game style and vision for the championship next season. There is no doubt that this is an exciting signing."

Smart is 1.91 meters tall and weighs about 100 kilograms. In the 2024-25 season, the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies played a total of 34 games (7 starts), averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 20.0 minutes.

The 31-year-old player has played for the Washington Wizards (2024-25 season), the Memphis Grizzlies (2023-25 season) and the Boston Celtics (2014-23 season), playing in a total of 635 games (387 starts), averaging 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 29.5 minutes. He played 108 games (73 starts) in his nine playoff journeys (2014-23 season), including entering the NBA Finals with the Celtics in 2022, and averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.1 minutes in the playoffs.

Smart was selected by the Celtics with the 6th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and was selected into the NBA Rookie No. 2 Team of the NBA All-Rookie Team in the rookie season. He spent two college seasons at Oklahoma State (2012-14), twice selected for the Big 12 All-A First Team, and was elected to the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2013.