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Whoa,

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we really aren’t good. I know we were missing a couple, but aside from LBJ’s 14 Dimes, he was, let’s just say, not good. As I have always said about any Laker shooting 3’s, if ya can’t make, stop shooting em! Konnect was back to Earth. If Jazz weren’t so bad, they should have taken us to the cleaners.

Could LA Pursue Grizzlies Defensive Ace?

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During his “NBA Insider Notebook” broadcast on Bleacher Report, insider Jake Fischer addressed numerous trade targets for the Lakers. One of the names he brought up? Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart.

“He would certainly help on the perimeter defensive side of things. … Marcus Smart would, in theory, be someone who could fit right into that ‘D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino’-type of package, where Smart comes in at 20.2 million dollars.”

Aside from their poor defensive rating, the Lakers give up an average of 13.6 made threes per game (18th) out of 37.2 attempts (12th)—both areas Smart could curtail given his prowess on that end of the floor.

But, before Laker fans get excited about plugging Smart and D’Angelo Russell into mock trade simulators, Fischer mentioned an important caveat:

“That being said, the Grizzlies gave up two first-round picks in order to get Smart just a summer ago. I would think that you’re gonna have to match that type of pick capital in order for the Grizzlies to part ways with someone who was just recently Defensive Player of the Year.”

Why Would the Grizzlies Trade Smart?
In his ninth NBA season—and second with Memphis—Smart is averaging 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, doing so on .380/.320/.857 splits. He’s a three-time All-Defensive team selection who won DPOY two years ago. Smart came to Memphis as part of the blockbuster deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, and he was meant to be a mentor to the Grizzlies’ young core, and especially Ja Morant.

So, why would Memphis move on from him?

NBA insiders believe Smart’s struggles, combined with the emergence of younger guards, could be enough to place him on the trading block. Last week, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote:

“The emergence of Scotty Pippen Jr. and rookie Jaylen Wells has league personnel wondering if the Memphis Grizzlies would consider moving former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, sources said. Smart has one more year left on his contract after this season and occupies a near-$20 million salary slot that the Grizzlies could utilize to add another high-profile player.”

Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells are both averaging around 12 points per game in Memphis’s first 20 games of the season. Pippen Jr. has become an effective backup point guard to Morant, while Wells has started 15 of those 20 games to begin his NBA career—in some cases, supplanting Smart as the starting small forward.

Smart has returned to playing after being sidelined with an illness last week. Prior to that, he dealt with an ankle sprain that kept him out for six games. He recently put up a season-high 25 points against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, shooting 8/12 from the field, including 7/11 from three. After starting the team’s first five contests, he has come off the bench in the last five, averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in that span.

Does Smart Make Sense for the Lakers?

Seeing as the Lakers need plenty of defensive help, it would not hurt to inquire about Smart. His play and the accolades that come with it show how much pride he takes on that end of the floor—something that the Lakers have lacked at several points this season. Smart’s scoring ability—though inconsistent at times—is another boost the Lakers could use, particularly off the bench if they were to replace Russell.

However, as solid of a fit as Smart could be for the Lakers, the question now becomes: is he worth trading both available first-round picks for?

The 2029 and 2031 firsts were mentioned in a plethora of hypotheticals already, from stars to star-level role players. As great as Smart has been throughout his career, the Lakers may not want to use their available draft capital on a 30-year-old guard who will earn $20.2 million this season and $21 million next year. There are other options for LA to look toward, particularly at other positions of need. Smart may make sense in theory for the Lakers, but they’re better off pursuing players higher on their list of trade targets.