Marcus Smart’s time in Memphis was supposed to be the next great culture bet for a franchise that had just talked itself into “Grizzlies DNA” as an organizing principle. Coming off a DPOY run in Boston, he arrived in the summer of 2023 as more than just a point guard. He was pitched as the ideal Dillon Brooks replacement and as the adult in a room full of youngsters that had grown up fast and flamed out even faster.

However, his two-year stint with the Grizzlies did not go as planned. Smart struggled with a host of injuries, specifically rupturing a tendon in his proximal interphalangeal joint in January 2024, followed by a partial tear of the proximal extensor hood of his right index finger in December, 2024.

Speaking to ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin in a recent interview, the former Celtics man opened up on how he was treated by the Memphis front office during arguably the most challenging period of his NBA career.

“I wanted to be 100%, to give everything I got,” Smart told ESPN. “As I’m still working out and getting ready, they’re just like, ‘No, your doctor said you’re ready now.’ And I’m like, ‘I hear what my doctor said, but … it’s how I feel. Yes, surgically the finger is fine. But physically, no. The finger is still weak. I’m still strengthening it. This is my dominant hand.’ So, they didn’t want to hear it and they just kept saying, ‘You need to play.'”

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Smart’s tenacious defensive role makes him more susceptible to injuries. An incident in 2018 left him with a five-inch glass sliver stuck inside his right hand. That injury seemed to alter the course of his career and even followed him to Memphis, like a nasty curse.

“For six years after the incident with the glass, I still had glass in my hand and I played with it. And there would be times where because of that, my hand would go numb. A lot of times, a lot of games, I couldn’t control it. I had to play and there were a lot of times when I’m shooting the ball and just, I had no feeling in the arm, the hand,” Smart added.

Over two seasons with the Grizzlies, Marcus Smart featured in only 39 games. He averaged 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and four assists in that period. And Ja Morant’s suspension did not make things easier for him. Yet, he believes the Memphis organization was quick to throw him under the bus and make him the ‘scapegoat’ for the team’s on-court struggles.

After two underwhelming years in Memphis, Smart was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards in February 2025. He played 15 games in the national capital, focusing on recovery and getting back to optimum fitness. Smart reached a contract agreement with the Wizards in July 2025, sacrificing $6.5 million of his 2025-26 contract, before signing for the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $11 million deal.

Marcus Smart’s resurgence to relevance after joining the Lakers

Since arriving in LA, the 32-year-old has managed to regain his confidence and competitive spirit while also motivating his teammates in the locker room. Serving as a key cog in JJ Redick’s new-look Lakers outfit, Smart has elevated his game while freeing up space for the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves to ball out on the court.

“He (Smart) competes every night,” Reaves said in an earlier interview. “It’s not always pretty, but his competitive level’s going to be at an all-time high every single night. And you need guys like that. I think he’s the one that sets the example for us on the court to go out there and play as hard as we possibly can, because you know he’s going to do that. When he’s doing that, every single night flying around, it makes you be accountable to the effort that you bring.”

Smart starred in the recent 127-125 OT win over the Denver Nuggets with 21 points and five steals. After the game, Doncic, whose personal phone call convinced Smart to sign for the Lakers, said: “I feel like every game, he does something different to help us win.”

Despite the resurgence, injuries haven’t fully vanished, but the toll from Memphis feels behind him. Smart has stayed available for 80% of games. With LA sitting third in the West at 39–25, Smart’s not just bouncing back; he’s proving he can still be the pest that tips contenders over the edge.