Deandre Ayton Exercises Lakers Option While Marcus Smart Declines His

Deandre Ayton is exercising his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported. Marcus Smart is declining his $5.4 million option and will become an unrestricted free agent. Ayton signed a two-year, $16.2 million contract with the Lakers last offseason after agreeing to a buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He gave up $10 million of a prior $35.6 million deal to complete that arrangement. The 28-year-old center spent his first five seasons with the Phoenix Suns and two with Portland before joining Los Angeles. Ayton averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during the regular season while shooting 67.1 percent from the field.

In the playoffs he posted 10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, including a strong series against the Houston Rockets. Smart, 32, led the Lakers in plus-minus last season as the team outscored opponents by 256 points in his minutes on the floor. The former Defensive Player of the Year was recruited to Los Angeles by Luka Doncic after two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.

Smart started 54 of 62 games and averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.