Lakers weigh free-agent return for Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly weighing a potential return for two key role players in this summer’s free agency, with Yahoo Sports writing that the club has interest in bringing back Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. The report frames the development as part of a broader period of change for the Lakers, but also one in which retaining proven contributors is increasingly in focus.

Smart’s fit, as described through the lens of his season-long impact moments, points to the kind of guard play the Lakers have often prioritized in the modern NBA: pressure defense, active passing, and the ability to disrupt opposing ball movement in the half court. The Yahoo report does not detail contract terms or formal negotiations, but the underlying premise is that Smart’s performance at multiple points during the season made his name more than a passing consideration for the front office.

Kennard, meanwhile, is presented as another player the Lakers could re-sign, tying roster construction to shooting and spacing. In an NBA landscape where offenses can punish teams that concede open jumpers, bringing back a wing shooter is often treated as roster continuity rather than a pure gamble. Yahoo’s reporting suggests Kennard delivered standout moments throughout the season, making his return a live possibility as the Lakers decide what they want their rotation identity to look like next year.

For the Lakers, the interest in both Smart and Kennard underscores a common offseason balancing act. Teams under pressure to evolve still have to decide which traits to keep, especially from players who have already navigated the league’s realities in a given system. The Yahoo report indicates that the list of players the Lakers are considering retaining from last year’s roster is expanding, which can matter in negotiations because it reduces the number of entirely new faces the team must find for the same roles.

From a team-building standpoint, retaining a defensive-minded guard like Smart and a complementary perimeter shooter like Kennard would keep two parts of the roster framework intact: one for stifling possessions and one for keeping defenses honest away from the basket. That combination can also affect how coaches manage matchups, because it offers more options for lineups that need both pressure on defense and gravity on offense.

Still, it is important to treat the situation as preliminary. The Yahoo Sports report is framed as interest and possibility heading into free agency, not as an official re-signing or agreement. Without confirmed transaction details from the league or the teams involved, fans should expect continued movement as agents, cap considerations, and roster plans interact across the league.

What to watch next is straightforward: whether the Lakers move from interest to formal talks or contract updates, and whether other teams with similar needs begin to pursue Smart and Kennard more aggressively. For the Lakers specifically, the next meaningful report will be how the franchise prioritizes retaining these types of contributors while still pursuing the larger offseason “change” Yahoo references.