Smart (forearm) is out for Wednesday's game against the Bucks.
Although he remains day-to-day, Smart will be sidelined for a third straight contest. Look for Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason to continue seeing hefty roles off the Houston bench in the meantime.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Questionable for Wednesday
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Smart (forearm) is questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Bucks.
Smart is at risk of missing a third straight game with a forearm strain. Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason would remain locked into big roles off the bench if Smart is unable to suit up.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Listed out for Monday
Rotowire
Smart (arm) is out for Monday's game against the Hawks.
Smart was previously labeled as questionable for Houston. With Smart sidelined for a second straight contest, the Rockets could lean more on Reed Sheppard and Bogdan Bogdanovic. His next chance to play comes Wednesday against the Bucks.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Iffy for Monday
Rotowire
Smart (forearm) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Hawks.
Smart is in jeopardy of missing a second consecutive contest due to a left forearm strain. If the veteran guard is ultimately ruled out, Reed Sheppard and Bogdan Bogdanovic would be candidates to see an uptick in minutes.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Out Saturday
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Smart (forearm) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks, Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smart will be held out of the second leg of this back-to-back set due to a left forearm strain. The veteran guard will join Fred VanVleet (knee/rest) on the inactive list, opening up minutes for Reed Sheppard, Bruce Thornton and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Late addition to injury report
Rotowire
Smart (forearm) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Hawks.
The veteran guard was a late addition to the injury report due to a left forearm strain. Both Smart and Reed Sheppard (knee) are in jeopardy of joining Fred VanVleet (knee/rest) on the inactive list for the second leg of this back-to-back set, so Bogdan Bogdanovic and Bruce Thornton could see increased playing time.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Provides spark in win
Rotowire
Smart recorded 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-4 3Pt), two rebounds, two assists and one steal across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 128-110 victory over the Mavericks.
Smart provided an offensive spark in his regular-season debut with the Rockets, leading the second unit in scoring while finishing as one of five Rockets players to score in double figures. The veteran guard will likely play a steady role off Houston's bench this season and is in line to start when Fred VanVleet sits, per Will Guillory of The Athletic.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Back to bench
Rotowire
Smart will come off the bench in Thursday's preseason game against the Thunder, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Smart drew an opportunity to start in Sunday's exhibition, finishing with 20 points in 24 minutes. He'll retreat to a bench role Thursday with the usual starting five getting one final dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Scores 20 points vs. Dallas
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Smart finished with 20 points (7-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 2-3 FT), five rebounds, four assists and a block across 24 minutes in Sunday's 132-115 preseason loss to the Mavericks.
Smart delivered a strong offensive performance and led all Houston players in scoring -- and it's worth noting each starter played over 20 minutes, so the Rockets are ramping up the workload for their rotation members. Smart is likely to open the season as a bench option but should handle sizable minutes because of his elite defense, three-point shooting and energy off the bench. This was an encouraging performance, but don't expect Smart to hover around the 20-point mark consistently once the regular season begins Oct. 21 in a rematch against Dallas.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Takes night off
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Smart (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.
Smart, Clint Capela and Jae'Sean Tate all took a seat for the preseason opener, but there were no reported injuries. Smart has played nearly 700 career regular-season games and spent multiple years in Boston under now-Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, so the veteran point guard likely doesn't need many preseason minutes to get acquainted with his new squad.
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Rockets' Marcus Smart: Joining Houston
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Smart agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Rockets on Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
With LeBron James expected to leave the Lakers, Smart declined his $5.4 million player option that would have kept him in Los Angeles for 2026-27 and will instead join Ime Udoka, who coached Smart for one season in Boston. That year, Smart won Defensive Player of the Year, and the Celtics reached the NBA Finals. Last regular season, the veteran guard averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes per game over 62 appearances (54 starts). Smart figures to play a complementary role in Houston's backcourt, with Fred VanVleet (knee) working his way back to full strength.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Becoming free agent
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Smart declined his $5.4 million player option for 2026-27 on Monday, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
The decision will allow Smart to become a free agent this summer. Last regular season, the veteran guard averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes per game over 62 appearances (54 starts). Whether with the Lakers or elsewhere, Smart is likely seeking a multi-year deal.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Huge workload in loss
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Smart finished Monday's 115-110 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals with five points (2-8 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, three assists and two steals across 36 minutes.
Due to the absence of Luka Doncic (hamstring), Smart played a massive role in the postseason for the Lakers. As for the regular season, injuries limited Smart to 62 appearances. In those games, he shot 39.5 percent from the field with averages of 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Plays well in loss
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Smart registered 12 points (4-15 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and four steals over 32 minutes during Tuesday's 108-90 loss to the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Lakers continue to rely heavily on Smart in the postseason, with Luka Doncic (hamstring) still on the mend. Through seven playoff games, Smart holds averages of 14.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 2.9 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Makes impact on defense in loss
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Smart produced nine points (3-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals over 31 minutes during Sunday's 115-96 loss to the Rockets in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
It's the second straight game in which Smart has recorded multiple steals and blocks, and the third straight in which he's collected six or more combined. The veteran guard is averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 assists, 3.5 steals, 2.5 boards, 2.0 threes and 2.0 blocks in 34.8 minutes to begin the postseason as he fills a bigger role in the absence of Austin Reaves (oblique) and Luka Doncic (hamstring). Smart will likely be productive again in Game 5 on Wednesday as the Lakers look to advance to the second round.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Outstanding in Game 3 win
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Smart racked up 21 points (5-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-11 FT), four rebounds, 10 assists, two blocks and five steals across 39 minutes during Friday's 112-108 overtime victory over the Rockets in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Smart continues to play his best basketball of the season, turning in what might be his best performance in several years. With the Lakers still down on troops, Smart appears to have taken it upon himself to lead from the front, averaging 20.3 points, 8.3 assists, 2.7 three-pointers and 5.4 combined steals-plus-blocks across three games. Los Angeles now leads the series 3-0 heading into Game 4 in Houston on Sunday.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Stupendous performance Tuesday
Rotowire
Smart contributed 25 points (8-13 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 4-5 FT), two rebounds, seven assists, one block and five steals over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 101-94 win over Houston in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Smart was electric on both ends of the floor, helping the Lakers to a somewhat surprising 2-0 lead. Despite being shorthanded, Los Angeles continues to defy the odds, with Smart being a major factor in the team's success. Through two playoff appearances, he has averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 assists, 3.0 three-pointers and 4.5 combined steals and blocks.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Back in starting lineup
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Smart will start Sunday's game against the Jazz, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Smart returned from a nine-game absence Friday, posting six points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block in 18 minutes off the bench during a 101-73 win over Phoenix. Sunday will be the veteran's first start since March 21, but he's been a regular in the first five, averaging 9.5 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 29.6 minutes across 53 starts this season.
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Solid output in limited minutes
Rotowire
Smart (ankle) registered six points (2-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block across 18 minutes Friday in the Lakers' 101-73 win over the Suns.
Smart was able to return to action for the Lakers' penultimate game of the regular season after he had missed the team's prior nine games due to a right ankle contusion. Though Smart had been a regular starter prior to getting hurt, the Lakers deployed him off the bench Friday, likely in an effort to manage his minutes. The Lakers could keep Smart's workload in check once again in Sunday's contest versus the Jazz, but the veteran guard could move back into a 30-plus-minute starting role once the postseason gets underway and while Los Angeles remains without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique).
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Lakers' Marcus Smart: Not starting in return
Rotowire
Smart (ankle) isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Suns, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.
Smart missed the last nine games because of an ankle injury. It remains to be seen when Smart will return to the first unit, and Rui Hachimura will remain in the starting lineup against the Suns.
