The Marcus Smart era in Memphis was short-lived and mostly disappointing for a team looking to add the veteran player to propel them from good to great. While injuries to other players, including Ja Morant, defined Smart's time in Memphis, his own injury luck factored into his disappointing time with the team.
After the Grizzlies traded Smart to the Washington Wizards at the February NBA trade deadline, he almost played as many games (15) in less than half the season with them as he did with Memphis (19) in 51 games. He also missed the Grizzlies' final 45 games of the 2023-24 season, during which he played only 20 games, totaling 39 in one and a half seasons in Memphis.