Marcus Smart Details Luka Doncic's Lakers Recruitment Efforts in Video After Contract

Marcus Smart decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers and team up with Luka Dončić this offseason after a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards, and he revealed Tuesday the five-time All-Star recruited him along the way. 

"When you get a guy like Luka calling, checking in on you, trying to see where you're at and to see if you want to join something special that he's trying to cook up over here," Smart told reporters. "And for him to say that he could really use my help. That meant a lot."

He also explained he didn't have much of a relationship with Dončić prior to the process even though they respected each other as competitors.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday that Smart agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal with the Purple and Gold. Los Angeles also waived Shake Milton's $3 million deal to help create more room for the veteran.

That Dončić would want to play with the 31-year-old shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

After all, it was clear the Lakers needed better perimeter defense during their first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. Dončić himself is not known as an excellent defender, and having someone like Smart will take the pressure off him on that end of the floor.

Smart's resume includes the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year award and three All-Defensive selections.

He can also take advantage of the spacing created by the defensive attention that Dončić and LeBron James draw and hit from the outside. Smart connected on 34.8 percent of his three-point attempts last season for the Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies and could be in line to improve that mark given the amount of open looks he will see alongside those two stars.

He should also provide an element of veteran leadership, as he appeared in 108 playoff games for the Boston Celtics during the first nine seasons of his career and will be accustomed to the major spotlight that comes with playing in Los Angeles.

At his best, Smart is someone who can anchor the Lakers' perimeter defense and provide toughness for postseason battles in the daunting Western Conference.

Dončić wanted that combination on his team, and the recruiting efforts paid off.