Veteran guard Marcus Smart believes the recent turmoil surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies was foreseeable long before it unfolded. Speaking with Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints, the 31-year-old recalled warning signs during his brief stint in Memphis, which ended when the club traded him to the Washington Wizards last February.
“You see what’s going on now. That started with me,” Smart said, adding that he was moved despite rehabbing an injury and remaining engaged from the bench. “Control what you can control.”
Smart suited up for only 39 contests across parts of two seasons with the Grizzlies, including 19 games in 2024-25. Weeks after his departure, Memphis dismissed head coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games left in the regular season and elevated assistant Tuomas Iisalo. The team was swept in the opening round of the playoffs.
The coaching change did little to stabilize the franchise. The Grizzlies entered Saturday’s loss in Cleveland at 4-10, and Iisalo’s unconventional substitution patterns have reportedly frustrated players. Tension with star guard Ja Morant recently led to Morant serving a one-game suspension.
Smart, now on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and starting for one of the league’s top clubs, said he harbors no resentment toward Memphis. “I wish nothing but the best for them,” he noted, while maintaining that problems were apparent during his tenure alongside current Lakers teammate Jake LaRavia.
Memphis spent much of last season near the top of the Western Conference but fell to the No. 8 seed after a late-season slide, forcing a play-in appearance. The Grizzlies lost to Golden State, then beat Dallas to claim the conference’s final postseason berth before their first-round exit.
Source: Hoops Rumors
