Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić's voice has reportedly been heard in his first offseason with L.A., both inside team headquarters and outside the facility as an "active recruiter" for the Purple and Gold,

As a notable footnote, LeBron James listed Smart as an aspirational player comparison for his son, Bronny, during a 2024 episode of "Mind the Game" alongside then-co-host JJ Redick, who is now entering his second season as the Lakers' head coach.

The Los Angeles Lakers are fully focused on building their future around generational superstar Luka Doncic. After pulling off a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks to get him ahead of the trade deadline last year, Doncic has taken over for LeBron James as the team's franchise player.