Marcus Smart Calls Out Lakers 'Disrespectful' Contract Offer After Signing with Rockets in NBA FA

Marcus Smart ended up playing just one season with the Los Angeles Lakers after they offered him a contract this offseason he called "disrespectful," per Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle.

"First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn't match the way that I played," he said. "Especially when you see guys who played way worse than I did, the offers they're getting. And then it wasn't any security that we wanted that they were willing to do."

Instead of returning to Los Angeles on a deal he didn't specify, he joined the Houston Rockets in his home state of Texas on a two-year, $12.4 million deal.

That contract features a player option in his second year.

"They gave me an opportunity to be able to go out and try to get what I've earned and what I've been working my tail off to provide for my family is a decent-sized paycheck with obviously years on it, right?" Smart said. "Or a big paycheck with less years, but to be able to have that option."

Smart is 32 years old and going into his 13th season in the NBA.

It is not realistic for fans or the Rockets to expect him to be quite the same player he was at his peak when he won the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22 for the Boston Celtics and made the All-Defensive First Team three times in four years.

Still, he was solid last season for the Lakers and did a little bit of everything while averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The offensive efficiency was a concern seeing how he connected on 39.5 percent of his field-goal attempts and 33.1 percent of his triples, but the Rockets have other playmakers who can help hide those issues.

Players such as Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet figure to lead the way on the offensive end, which will clear the way for Smart to be an impact defender and spark the second unit.

If he does, perhaps there will be more respectful offers waiting for him the next time he hits free agency.