Marcus Smart’s Injury Delays Lakers Training Camp Start

Los Angeles, CA – Marcus Smart, the former guard for the Boston Celtics, will miss at least part of the upcoming Los Angeles Lakers training camp for the 2025-26 NBA regular season due to an injury. Smart has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, playing only 54 games combined.

Head coach JJ Redick addressed Smart’s condition during a media day interview earlier this week, revealing that he is dealing with Achilles tendinopathy. “Marcus is dealing with a little Achilles tendinopathy,” Redick said. “He’s been in a slow ramp up. He was a modified participant, nothing live today.”

Redick expressed optimism about Smart’s recovery, stating, “We expect him to be fine by next week.” Smart himself opened up about his recent challenges, emphasizing the difficulty injuries posed during his last two seasons. “These last two years have been rough from team to team,” Smart noted during Lakers media day. “And then injuries compelled me from playing a lot of the time, so really this summer was just trying to get as healthy as I can.”

Despite the setbacks, Smart remains hopeful. “In the game of basketball, or any sport, it’s hard to get back to 100%, but you try to get as close as you can and that’s the goal for me,” he said. “It’s definitely been a tough road, but being here, the comfort that I have, the way that this organization and my teammates have embraced me is definitely going to help.”

The Lakers are set to face the Boston Celtics on Friday, December 5, at 6 PM ET, where they hope to have Smart back at full strength.