Lakers Lock In Guard on New Deal as Playoff Injury Concerns Mount

The Los Angeles Lakers waived guard Kobe Bufkin to open a roster spot, and fans had been waiting to see who would fill it with the playoffs just days away. Now they have their answer.

Shams Charania reported the news on X, with agent Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports confirming the deal to ESPN:

"The Los Angeles Lakers are signing two-way guard Nick Smith Jr. on a new two-year contract, Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports tells ESPN. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, the Lakers add guard depth for the playoffs. Smith has averaged 6 points and 40% from 3 this season."
Shams Charania

The Los Angeles Lakers are signing two-way guard Nick Smith Jr. on a new two-year contract, Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports tells ESPN. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, the Lakers add guard depth for the playoffs. Smith has averaged 6 points and 40% from 3 this season. pic.twitter.com/DTY3TtnsIn
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 12, 2026

Luka Doncic is out with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and traveled to Spain seeking specialized treatment to speed up his recovery. Austin Reaves, the team's second-best player this season at 23.3 points per game, is sidelined with a Grade 2 oblique strain and faces a four-to-six-week timeline. The playoffs begin April 18.

Smith has been part of the Lakers organization all season on a two-way deal, splitting time between the NBA roster and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. The Lakers are now signing him to a new two-year contract, with the playoffs less than a week away.

Nick Smith Jr. Stats and What He Brings to the Lakers Playoffs

Smith spent two seasons in Charlotte before the Hornets waived him last September, and the Lakers picked him up before training camp. This season in Los Angeles, he averaged 6.0 points, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.1% from the field.

Those numbers came in limited minutes though. When the rotation opened up, Smith showed what he could do. He dropped 25 points against Portland and 21 against Sacramento, both times stepping in when Doncic or Reaves were unavailable. He did not ease into those games either, he just scored.

That is what the Lakers need right now. They rank near the bottom of the league in bench scoring, and with their top two guards both hurt, someone has to create offense. Smith can shoot off the catch, make shots off the dribble, and has already proven he can somewhat handle big minutes on an NBA floor.

Defense is the real question. Playoff teams will attack him, and he is still learning that side of the game. But the Lakers are not in a position to be picky. Smith knows the system, Redick already trusts him, and this is the biggest opportunity of his career so far.

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