Breaking
DETwo cars collide head-on on Jungfernstieg in HamburgTRHüseyin K., who was wanted for 12 years, was caught at the Kumburgaz hotelDEFirst dog festival “Beat & Bark” in Brandenburg: workshops, sport and encounters for people and dogsCNTaiwanese skateboarder Ku Yung-yan wins Asian Games silver medal, making history for two consecutive daysRUIn the Penza region, the “Carpet” plan and the “Unmanned Danger” mode have been canceledRURestrictions on the arrival and release of aircraft have been lifted at Saratov airportCNThe Xi'an to Ankang section of the Xi'an-Chongqing High-Speed Railway opens for operation on September 28, with the fastest arrival time of 45 minutesTRThe driver, who was caught with the driver's license of the deceased in Antalya, was wanted on a charge of premeditated murder.AUMeasles outbreak in Adelaide prompts temporary vaccination clinic at Brighton Secondary SchoolUSCollege Football Playoff to emphasize conference opponent strength metric in 2026 selection processDETwo cars collide head-on on Jungfernstieg in HamburgTRHüseyin K., who was wanted for 12 years, was caught at the Kumburgaz hotelDEFirst dog festival “Beat & Bark” in Brandenburg: workshops, sport and encounters for people and dogsCNTaiwanese skateboarder Ku Yung-yan wins Asian Games silver medal, making history for two consecutive daysRUIn the Penza region, the “Carpet” plan and the “Unmanned Danger” mode have been canceledRURestrictions on the arrival and release of aircraft have been lifted at Saratov airportCNThe Xi'an to Ankang section of the Xi'an-Chongqing High-Speed Railway opens for operation on September 28, with the fastest arrival time of 45 minutesTRThe driver, who was caught with the driver's license of the deceased in Antalya, was wanted on a charge of premeditated murder.AUMeasles outbreak in Adelaide prompts temporary vaccination clinic at Brighton Secondary SchoolUSCollege Football Playoff to emphasize conference opponent strength metric in 2026 selection process
Newsgather
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScienceHealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace
BackSmart revealed the reason for leaving the Lakers: He felt disrespected and chose to join the Rockets
Smart revealed the reason for leaving the Lakers: He felt disrespected and chose to join the Rockets
Developing
自由时报47 minutes agoSports1 min readChinaView original

Smart revealed the reason for leaving the Lakers: He felt disrespected and chose to join the Rockets

Smartlakersrocket

Quick Look

  • Marcus Smart left the Lakers to join the Rockets this summer, signing a two-year, $13 million contract, with the second year as a player option.
  • He said that although the Lakers offered a higher price than the Rockets, the negotiation process made him feel disrespected and the contract guarantees did not meet expectations.
  • Last season, he averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Smart played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He became a free agent this summer, failed to negotiate a contract extension with the Lakers, and finally chose to join the Houston Rockets.

Font size

Smart will play for the Rockets in the new season. (File photo, AFP)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] "Smart Brother" Marcus Smart left the Lakers this summer and signed a two-year contract with the Rockets, which just made up for the Rockets' weakness in ball handling. Smart was interviewed recently and publicly revealed the reasons for leaving the Lakers.

Smart revealed that he felt disrespected when negotiating with the Lakers this summer. Although the Lakers were willing to offer a higher price than the Rockets, they still made him decide to leave.

Please read on...

Smart believed that he performed well last season, but the Lakers did not offer a corresponding contract. Instead, other players who played worse than him received a higher offer from the Lakers. Smart also added that the guarantee clause in the Lakers contract was completely inconsistent with his expectations. However, in the interview, Smart did not disclose the content of the contract offered to him by the Lakers.

Last season, Smart posted 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.4 steals for the Lakers. This summer, he signed a two-year contract with the Rockets worth approximately US$13 million, with the second year being a player option.

Smart said frankly that the job of playing basketball is to support his family. The contract he hopes for is a long-term contract with a lower average salary, or a shorter-term contract with a larger amount but with player options.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Smart will activate the player option in the second year with the Rockets and become a free agent to renegotiate or stay with the Rockets

    Possible · Within months

Open Questions

  • What specific contract conditions did the Lakers offer?
  • What will be Smart's specific role and playing time with the Rockets?
  • Does the Rockets' signing mean they have long-term plans for the guard position?

Related Topics

Smart
OrganizationsLos Angeles Lakershouston rockets
PlacesUnited States
TopicslakersrocketNBAcontractplayer options
This article was originally published by 自由时报.

Related Stories

Taiwanese skateboarder Ku Yung-yan wins Asian Games silver medal, making history for two consecutive days
BREAKING·

Taiwanese skateboarder Ku Yung-yan wins Asian Games silver medal, making history for two consecutive days

The youngest member of the Taiwanese delegation, 12-year-old skateboarder Ku Yongyan, set a new personal high by winning the silver medal with a final score of 87.33 in the men's skateboard park final of the Nagoya Asian Games. On the same day, another Taiwanese skateboarder Lin Yifan won the silver medal in the women's competition with 85.15 points, becoming Taiwan's first Asian Games skateboarding medal in history.

自由时报
2 min read
Lin Yifan wins Asian Games women's park style skateboarding silver medal, the best in Taiwan's history
Developing·

Lin Yifan wins Asian Games women's park style skateboarding silver medal, the best in Taiwan's history

Taiwan's 14-year-old skateboarder Lin Yifan won the silver medal in the women's park style skateboarding final of the Nagoya Asian Games with 85.15 points, becoming Taiwan's first Asian Games skateboarding medal in history. His coach Sasaoka Kendo praised his relaxed and confident performance and said that this medal will have a positive impact on his career and his future goals will focus on the Olympics.

自由时报
1 min read
Li Zhikai shed tears when he finished fifth in pommel horse at the Asian Games. He woke up after his dream was broken.
Developing·

Li Zhikai shed tears when he finished fifth in pommel horse at the Asian Games. He woke up after his dream was broken.

Taiwanese gymnast Li Zhikai ranked fifth in the men's pommel horse final of the Nagoya Asian Games with 14.333 points and failed to win a medal. He cried in an interview after the game and admitted that his future plans were unclear. However, after a night of settling down, he posted a message on social media to encourage himself and his supporters, saying that "the dream was broken, but I have woken up" and will prepare to participate in the World Championships.

自由时报
2 min read
Skies completed the last game of the season and reached the 200K record for two consecutive seasons.
Sports·

Skies completed the last game of the season and reached the 200K record for two consecutive seasons.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes made his final start of the season today against the St. Louis Cardinals. He allowed 1 run and 8 strikeouts in 6.1 innings, ending the season with his 13th quality start of the season. He reached 200 strikeouts this season and became the first Pirates starter to score 200K in two consecutive seasons since Ware in 1964-1966. His season record was 10 wins, 11 losses and an ERA of 3.82. After the game, he said that although he was not as dominant as the previous two years, he had witnessed his own growth and adjustment in the off-season, and believed that the best state for both the individual and the team was yet to come. The Pirates eventually won 2-1 and had a post-season record of 81 wins and 78 losses. Although they exceeded the 50% winning rate, they missed the playoffs.

自由时报
2 min read
Taiwan's 14-year-old skateboarder Lin Yifan makes history by winning the silver medal at the Nagoya Asian Games
Developing·

Taiwan's 14-year-old skateboarder Lin Yifan makes history by winning the silver medal at the Nagoya Asian Games

Lin Yifan, a 14-year-old Taiwanese skateboarder, won the silver medal in the women's park final of the Nagoya Asian Games with 85.15 points. This is Taiwan's first Asian Games skateboarding medal in history. She said she originally only expected a bronze medal, but ended up winning silver and revealed that she would challenge for the Olympics and go to Paraguay to compete.

自由时报
2 min read
More on this topicSmart