Have the Grizzlies had the solution to the Lakers’ problem all along? Hoping to upgrade their roster to get back to title contention, Rob Pelinka likely has his eyes set on multiple teams for potential trade options. And his search could finally be over once Ja Morant returns to the Grizzlies lineup from his season-ending injury. No, it’s not Morant that he would go after. Instead, the superstar’s return could give Pelinka a chance to get his hands on a former DPOY!

Yes, we are talking about none other than guard Marcus Smart. Just like Ja spent most of last season dealing with an injury and recovering from his shoulder surgery, Smart was also limited to playing only 20 games after being struck by the injury bug twice. First, he missed a major chunk because of an ankle injury. Unfortunately, further misery awaited him as he injured his right ring finger during a game against the Mavs in January. This put him out of action for six weeks and his problems didn’t end there as further complications in his recovery forced him to miss the rest of the season.

But now both Smart and Morant are expected to fully recover before the start of the new season. The Grizzlies lineup will look a lot different from last season. While they will start the year playing together, the front office could consider trading Smart mid-season if he cannot generate the desired results. And that would be Pelinka’s window to swoop in and acquire the former Celtics star.

With two years left on his contract and a little over $20 million owed in annual salary, acquiring Smart could prove a steal at that price. Moreover, Pelinka has D’Angelo Russell and Jalen-Hood Schifino as trade options to facilitate the exchange. Notably, the Lakers are already known to have shown interest in Smart previously.

“While several clubs — including the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, sources said — have phoned Memphis about obtaining defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, the Grizzlies have shut down any overtures for the veteran guard, sources said,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports had written on February 2. Apart from Smart, some other names are also doing rounds for the Lakers.

Two of them are Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls (Current salary: $43 million, Remaining contract: $137 million/three years) and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks (Current salary: $43 million, Remaining contract: $137 million/three years). A relatively less expensive option is Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers (Current salary: $29.8 million, Remaining contract: $132.4 million/four years). His contract is a bit long, but he works well as a complementary wing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Among other less expensive options is Walker Kessler of Utah Jazz (Current salary: $3.0 million, Remaining contracts: $7.8 million/two years). He is young and can fill the need at the center. The Lakers may also look to bring back Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans whom they originally drafted in 2019. Later on, they traded him to the Pels to acquire Anthony Davis. While Marcus Smart looks one of the most prominent in this crowd, is he worth the chance?

How can Marcus Smart boost the Lakers’ title aspirations?

Well, Smart is not the typical lengthy three and D guy that Pelinka is used to pursuing. Standing at 6’3 he is never the tallest guy on the floor. Moreover, he is not a very efficient three-point shooter which LeBron usually prefers around him, as he is a career 32.3% shooter from deep range. But what he lacks in height and shooting, he makes up for with his defensive prowess and playoff experience. Yes, he is one of the rare guards in league history to win a DPOY trophy for his elite defense just two years ago.

Averaging 1.7 steals while guarding the best players on the court, Smart was a nightmare for forwards that season. Moreover, he is also a decent scorer despite his lack of deep-range shooting as he constantly averages double-digit points.

Moreover, his numbers only get better during the playoffs as he helped the Celtics reach five conference finals in nine years and averaged 14.9 points and over five assists in his most recent playoff appearance. Surely, his experience in high-stakes situations could prove crucial for the Lakers during pressure playoff games. While Smart is not available in the market right now, the Lakers could be on the lookout for him ahead of the mid-season trade deadline. Do you agree?