Marcus Smart agreed to join the Houston Rockets on a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option for the second season. Houston adds a veteran guard during the 2026 NBA offseason, and the move comes after Smart and the Lakers eliminated the Rockets in six games in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Smart Joins Houston Backcourt
Smart brings a defined role with him. He averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals in 62 games last season, then averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals in six games against the Rockets in the playoffs.
The Rockets now pair him with Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard in the backcourt, while Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are already part of the roster core. That gives Houston another ball-handler who can defend at the point of attack and handle secondary creation without forcing a full-time scoring load.
Rockets Keep Updating Guard Play
Houston had already agreed to a one-year deal with Bogdan Bogdanović earlier in free agency, so Smart fits into a clear offseason pattern. The roster work has moved toward adding perimeter options around the team’s existing frontcourt pieces, and Smart’s contract is short enough to keep that flexibility intact.
The second-season player option gives him a direct choice on whether to extend the stay beyond one year. If he wants a different path after 2026-27, the deal leaves that door open; if he performs well, Houston gets a veteran defender with nine NBA seasons of three-point volume and a career 38.1% mark from deep.
Udoka And Smart
The reunion with Ime Udoka adds another layer, but the main point is practical: Houston gets a former Kia Defensive Player of the Year on a manageable contract at a position the team has been updating. For a team that just finished on the wrong side of Smart and the Lakers in six games, the next step is clearer guard play and more resistance when games tighten late.
