The Los Angeles Lakers could be without Marcus Smart during Friday’s NBA Cup clash against the Dallas Mavericks.
The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is questionable for the game with back spasms, per Lakers insider Mike Trudell.
The news comes at a time when the Lakers look to extend their 5-0 winning streak against Luka Doncic’s former team — in a blockbuster Prime Video clash.
Smart has played a pivotal role in helping the Lakers start the season 13-4, serving as their best defender through the first month. He leads all Lakers in defensive rating and is tied for first in net rating (minimum 200 minutes). JJ Redick’s team is +9.1 with Smart on the floor, while giving up a meager 106.7 points per 100 possessions. Without Smart on the court, the Lakers are giving up nearly 115 points per 100 possessions.
Marcus Smart Injury History
The 31-year-old Smart has been perennially hurt since the Boston Celtics traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023. The defensive ace played only 20 games in his first season with the Grizzlies and a combined 34 games for the Grizzlies and Washington Wizards in the 2024-25 season. In his first season with the Lakers, Smart has been relatively healthy, missing only three of the 17 games thus far.
After signing with the Lakers, Smart admitted he was not in great shape playing for lottery-bound teams like the Grizzlies and Wizards, which may have led to injuries. Now that he’s playing for a true title contender, Smart is showing flashes of the player who was the best perimeter defender in the league at one point — with the Celtics.
A Motivated Smart
“I’m very motivated,” Smart said after joining the Lakers, via LakersNation.
“The last two years for me was, in my eyes a disappointment. Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back. But like I told my wife and my family, everything happens for a reason and it’s funny that 12 years ago I could’ve been here and now it’s full circle and I’m here. Like I said, everything happens for a reason and I just look at those reasons was for me to be here. To not play and for people to look at me and say, ‘Maybe he isn’t the same’ and now that allows me to be in a place where I’m supposed to be.”
Smart made it clear that his goal was to help LeBron James and Luka Doncic capture a championship in Los Angeles.
“It’s at the top. The main goal, the reason you go out and you compete the way you compete is to try to win championships. And what better place to be able to do that than here where the show starts and where the show ends. That was definitely a big part of it, being able to get back on that stage. Being able to get to a team that definitely could use me and I know I can make an impact and help as well, and that was a perfect fit here.”
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