Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić and new guard Marcus Smart are “working hard” on their bodies this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
Dončić recruited Smart to the Lakers, who signed the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards.
Dončić also recruited Deandre Ayton to the Lakers.
“I’m told that the recent Luka Dončić pitch, once Washington granted the 31-year-old and his agent Jason Glushon permission to talk to other teams in search of a post-buyout landing spot, particularly resonated with Smart and helped lead the former Defensive Player of the Year to choose the Lakers over a determined push by the Suns to land the former Celtic,” Stein wrote.
“I’m likewise told that Smart (like Dončić) has been working hard on his body this summer. Conditioning was an undeniable issue for Smart last season, but the Lakers were convinced during their pursuit that they will see a sleeker version of the 2021-22 DPOY.”
The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games despite having Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. The purple and gold have lost in the first round of the postseason two years in a row.
Multiple sources told DallasHoopsJournal.com that Lakers second-year head coach JJ Redick will start Dončić, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Ayton next season and bring Smart, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Jaxson Hayes off the bench.
All signs point toward Dončić signing an extension with the Lakers. The former Dallas Mavericks star can sign an extension with Los Angeles on August 2 for as much as four years and $229 million.
Dončić can also sign a two-year extension with the Lakers that gets him to 10 years of service by the time the offseason of 2028 rolls around. The five-time All-Star can then sign a five-year max contract at 35% of the salary cap to maximize his earnings.
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