The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of one of the busiest periods of their offseason, with several roster decisions already reshaping the team ahead of free agency.
Monday, June 29 marked the NBA’s deadline for teams and players to exercise or decline contract options before free agency officially opens on Tuesday.
Deandre Ayton exercised his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season, while Marcus Smart declined his $5.4 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent.
Nick Smith Jr. was the other Laker facing a contract decision, with the franchise holding a team option on the former first-round pick. That decision has now been made.
Lakers Part Ways With Former First-Round Pick
According to Spotrac’s Keith Smith and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers have declined Smith’s $2.5 million team option for next season.
The move sends the 22-year-old into unrestricted free agency, where he is expected to attract interest from multiple teams.
Ahead of the deadline, Keith Smith suggested the Lakers’ decision would likely depend on their broader salary cap strategy.
“If the Lakers go the cap space route this summer, they’ll decline this option,” the Spotrac analyst wrote. “If they end up staying over the cap, Los Angeles could pick up this option, as Smith has shown he belongs on an NBA roster.”
Smith spent much of last season on a two-way contract before earning a standard NBA deal shortly before the playoffs, making him eligible for the postseason roster.
In 30 regular-season appearances, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 6.2 points and 1.0 assist while shooting 43.5% from the field.
He also emerged as one of the Lakers’ most reliable perimeter shooters, connecting on 39.5% of his three-point attempts, trailing only Drew Timme, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard.
Marcus Smart Set to Test Free Agency
Smith played just eight total minutes across six playoff appearances, seeing the third-fewest minutes on the roster, with only Dalton Knecht and Maxi Kleber appearing less.
Because of the restrictions attached to his two-way contract earlier in the season, Smith spent extended time with the South Bay Lakers, where he took on a much larger offensive role.
Across 18 G League games, he averaged 19.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 49.8% from the field and 37.0% from three-point range.
His production suggested he had outgrown the G League and was ready for a more consistent NBA opportunity, although that chance never fully arrived in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Marcus Smart’s future with the Lakers appears increasingly unlikely.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the veteran guard was expected to decline his player option and enter unrestricted free agency in search of a multi-year contract, with a return to Los Angeles appearing uncertain.
NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have linked Smart to the Houston Rockets, while Woike reported that Houston is “the team most likely” to sign the former Defensive Player of the Year to a multi-year deal.
Elsewhere, the futures of LeBron James and Hachimura also remain unresolved as both approach unrestricted free agency, setting the stage for what promises to be another frantic 24 to 48 hours for the Lakers.
Lakers Make Last-Minute Contract Decision as Key Player Exit Looms