Rockets Land Marcus Smart on Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
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The Houston Rockets have reached a two-year agreement worth $13 million with veteran guard Marcus Smart, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal contains a player option for the 2027/28 season.
Smart, 32, became an unrestricted free agent after declining his option with the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent last season in L.A. on a one-plus-one pact signed for the bi-annual exception, following an injury-marred stint split between Memphis and Washington.
The former Defensive Player of the Year started 54 of 62 regular-season games for the Lakers, averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 28.5 minutes. His production climbed in 10 playoff appearances—12.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game—while stepping in for injured backcourt mates Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Houston intends to use the taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the signing, a route that avoids hard-capping the club at the first tax apron and preserves flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent Tari Eason. The contract cannot be made official until the NBA’s July moratorium ends next Monday.
The Rockets had explored a three-year offer, league sources said, but that scenario would have required the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and triggered a more restrictive hard cap. If Houston sheds salary—potentially by moving Dorian Finney-Smith—management could still switch Smart to the larger exception before his signing becomes official.
Smart reunites with head coach Ime Udoka, who guided him during Boston’s 2021/22 Eastern Conference championship run. He joins a refurbished backcourt featuring Amen Thompson, No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard, Fred VanVleet (returning from an ACL tear) and newly signed wing Bogdan Bogdanović.
With the tentative additions of Smart and Bogdanović and JD Davison’s non-guaranteed deal, the Rockets sit roughly $25.7 million below the second tax apron while holding two or three open roster spots.
Source: Hoops Rumors
