Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić and new guard Marcus Smart are “working hard” on their bodies this offseason, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Smart, however, was someone that the Lakers needed to pitch to come to LA. And to do that, the team turned to Luka Dončić. The new face of the franchise played a big role in recruiting the former Defensive Player of the Year, something originally reported by Shams Charania of ESPN on Sunday afternoon.

Dončić helped secure commitments from Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart after both unexpectedly hit free agency via contract buyouts.

Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart signed with the Los Angeles Lakers because of Luka Dončić, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Dončić recruited Ayton, who was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers,

The fit with Luka Dončić and LeBron James should mesh well defensively, as Smart can rotate onto the best opposing perimeter player. Offensively, there will be questions as to whether or not Dončić will have enough spacing around him, should he see a significant chunk of his minutes with Smart on the floor.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had quite the offseason and capped it off by signing Marcus Smart, but things may not be all sunshine and rainbows solely because of his defensive ability.

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't quite done with the roster moves yet as they have waived a guard in order to make room for the latest Marcus Smart signing. The wa

Speculation about LeBron James leaving the Lakers for a better chance to win is seemingly ignoring a pretty big factor: the Lakers still have Luka Dončić, who is primed to have a huge season.

While Luka Doncic hasn’t directly addressed his future with the franchise this summer — time he’s spent in Europe putting together an all-time revenge glow-up — his actions behind the scenes crystalize why the Lakers are confident with how things stand.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/esports as Luka Dončić's Awkward Apology to Ludwig is Going Viral.