If Marcus Smart lives up to the potential that Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers saw in signing him, Rob Pelinka will finally be able to make the trade the purple and gold have been waiting for. Los Angeles was clearly active in 2024-25, acquiring Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith.
If Smart can stay healthy and deliver the defensive value expected of him, however, the Lakers could truly begin the process of building around Doncic with a crucial in-season trade.
Los Angeles made the polarizing decision in 2024 to avoid adding new players via free agency.