search-underway-for-suspects-in-lakers-fc-shooting-that-killed-4-and-injured-17 The Los Angeles Lakers may need some more elite talent with playoff experience to help them capture another championship in 2024-25, and a recent report introduced two names that could give them a boost at guard. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus made the case that the Lakers would be well-suited to go after Memphis Grizzlies point guard Marcus Smart and Washington Wizards floor general Malcolm Brogdon. Pincus has this to say about the former (h/t Bobby Krivitsky of Boston Celtics on SI):
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“The Lakers need to improve defensively in the backcourt,” notes Pincus. “Smart is a strong, tough, physical defender with significant postseason experience.”
As touching how realistic it would be for Los Angeles to get a deal done with Memphis, Pincus contin ued:If the team hits a roadblock, Smart could become available at the deadline based on his age, salary, and position, as the team is heavily invested in Desmond Bane and Morant. Jaren Jackson Jr. will also be due a new deal starting in 2026-27.” Smart is a former Defensive Player of the Year from 2022 who plays with a noticeable edge and excels at connecting from long range, finishing in the lane in traffic, and making plays for his teammates. He’d help instill a championship-level defense on a Lakers team that finished with the 16th-best defensive rating (114.8) in the league last season. They let opponents run wild in transition, allowing the fourth-most fastbreak points (16.2 FB PPG), and swing the rock well with 28.2 assists per night, which ranked fifth-worst in the NBA. Brogdon is a former 50-40-90 club member from 2019 who could give the Lakers a player who is capable of dishing out eight dimes on any given game and could offset LeBron James as their primary or secondary ball handler. He’s also a former 2023 Sixth Man of the Year who would thrive either starting or coming off of Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s bench in 2024-25. He too is an elite and high-IQ perimeter defender that could help Los Angeles immensely in that department.
