The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in trading for Marcus Smart, a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, Memphis has put an end to those negotiations.
“A number of teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, have contacted Memphis regarding acquiring defensive mainstay Marcus Smart, according to sources, but the Grizzlies have rejected any approaches for the seasoned guard,” Fischer wrote.
Despite missing a large portion of the season due to injury, Smart is still a fantastic defensive player who can also produce a lot of points on offense when healthy. This season, Smart has averaged a career-high 14.5 points per game for Memphis. Despite his initial expectations, he has assumed a greater offensive role because of the way that multiple key players’ injuries have distributed the scoring load.
Smart has only appeared in 20 games this season, which is unfortunate for both the Grizzlies and him as he has missed a lot of time with injury. From an injury perspective, Memphis has had a nightmare year: Ja Morant is out for the season, Desmond Bane is sidelined for a few weeks, and numerous other important players have missed significant periods of time.
Having said that, it appears Memphis has no intention of dealing Smart to a contender this season, even though Los Angeles and Milwaukee have reportedly expressed interest.
