When the Boston Celtics traded Marcus Smart in 2023, it was a business decision. Brad Stevens, architect of the Celtics’ championship roster, made the cold, calculated choice to move on from the heart and soul of the franchise. The rationale was simple: Smart was entering his 30s, his offensive game was inconsistent, and the Celtics needed to reshape their core.
Fast forward to 2026, and that decision is starting to look a lot less like genius and a lot more like a gift to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart
The Revival: Smart Finds His Shot in Hollywood
Nobody saw this coming. When the Lakers signed Marcus Smart off the buyout market after a whirlwind tour through Memphis and Washington, the expectation was simple: they were getting a defensive bulldog, a vocal leader, and a guy who could bother opposing guards for 25 minutes a night.
What they didn’t expect was a sniper.
Over the last 28 games, Smart has transformed his game. The 6’3″ guard has knocked down 39.0 percent of his 123 three-point attempts, hoisting 4.4 per game at an elite clip. To put that in perspective: Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza are the only two current Celtics shooting over 39 percent from deep this season.
Smart, meanwhile, is doing it in purple and gold, on a Lakers team that suddenly looks like a legitimate title contender.
The Perfect Fit
The Lakers’ formula is simple: surround Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves with shooters and defenders. Smart checks both boxes. With defenses collapsing on LA’s three stars, Smart is feasting on open looks. His 39 percent shooting from deep isn’t a fluke—it’s the product of a system that maximizes his strengths.
And let’s not forget the defense. Smart is still Smart. He’s still the guy who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, still the guy who guards the opponent’s best perimeter player, still the guy who communicates, organizes, and leads. The Lakers needed perimeter defense desperately. They got that—and a whole lot more.
The Steal of the Season
Here’s the kicker: the Lakers got Smart for pennies on the dollar. After Boston traded him to Memphis, the Grizzlies flipped him to the rebuilding Wizards. Washington, eager to clear cap space and minutes for young players, bought him out. The Lakers swooped in and signed him for just $5.1 million this season.
In a league where role players command $15-20 million annually, Smart is an absolute steal. He’s producing like a player making three times his salary, and he’s doing it on a team with championship aspirations.
The Celtics’ Perspective: No Regrets?
Do the Celtics regret letting Smart go? Officially, no. They won a championship in 2024, and they’re right back in the thick of title contention in 2026. Jayson Tatum is playing like an MVP, and Boston’s roster is as deep as any in the league.
But privately? There has to be a twinge of “what if.” Smart is proving that he’s not done—far from it. He’s proving that he can adapt, that he can add new dimensions to his game, and that he can thrive in a new environment. The narrative that he was “taking a step back” as he exited his 20s has been thoroughly debunked.
Instead, Smart is finding new ways to impact a contender in his early 30s. And Celtics fans know exactly what that looks like. They watched him do it for years in Boston.
The Finals Dream: Celtics vs. Lakers, Smart vs. His Past
Here’s the scenario that has NBA fans salivating: the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers meeting in the NBA Finals. It’s the league’s greatest rivalry, dormant for over a decade, suddenly alive again.
And at the center of it? Marcus Smart, wearing purple and gold, facing the team that traded him away.
The Celtics would be favored. They have Tatum, they have depth, they have experience. But the Lakers have Luka, they have LeBron, and they have a rejuvenated Marcus Smart playing the best basketball of his career.
Celtics fans hope the result would be the same as 2024: a Boston championship. But every day, that scenario feels less like a fantasy and more like a real possibility.
The Bottom Line
Marcus Smart is getting the last laugh. The Celtics thought they were moving on at the right time. Instead, they created a monster—one that’s now wearing purple and gold and gunning for their throne.
The Lakers are thankful. Celtics fans? They’re watching closely, hoping their former hero doesn’t come back to haunt them.