Things came together quickly for Houston and Smart<\/a>. On Monday, Smart officially declined his $5.4 million player option with the Lakers to become a free agent. Before free agency even started, there were reports that the Rockets were an enticing landing spot for Smart, likely due to his history with head coach Ime Udoka in Boston.<\/p>\nUltimately, the two landed on two-year, $13 million deal to keep Smart in Houston..<\/p>\n
It was a big addition for Houston, who has desperately needed guard help for a calendar year. Prior to last season, starting point guard Fred VanVleet went down with a knee injury, missing the entirety of the regular season and postseason. The Rockets did their best to supplement his talents with Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson and more, though they didn\u2019t have enough handling and play-making talent.<\/p>\n
At the 2026 NBA Draft, the Rockets did their best to add even more guard help, trading to the very first pick in the second round on Day 2 to grab Ohio State\u2019s Bruce Thornton, a veteran handler ready to offer a scoring punch.<\/p>\n
Now, with VanVleet returning, Sheppard and Thompson continuing to develop, as well as the additions of Smart and Thornton, the team\u2019s guard options are far better than a year ago.<\/p>\n
Across 62 games last season, Smart averaged 9.3 points on 40% shooting, adding 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He\u2019s certainly tapered off from his former production with the Celtics, but still adds some valuable skills that the league is looking for.<\/p>\n
Defensively, Smart fits like a glove in Udoka\u2019s system, able to guard on the perimeter across a few different positions with instincts, energy and toughness. Offensively, he hasn\u2019t seen a sparkling recent history, but did shoot near 40% from three in a short stint with the Wizards a year ago, and has some handling and play-making tendencies in his back pocket.<\/p>\n
Smart was a former Defensive Player of the Year, though being 32 doesn’t have that same level of skill. Still, with the addition of swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Rockets haven’t just sat on their hands in a pivotal offseason, instead grabbing two potential rotation pieces while others look to do the same.<\/p>\n
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