Marcus Smart is the newest addition to the LA Lakers' roster this summer after signing a two-year, $11 million deal. He was brought in with the expectation of helping Luka Doncic and LeBron James achieve their championship aspirations next season. Smart revealed that Doncic contacted him to join him and the Lakers after the Washington Wizards agreed to buy out his contract. This led to reporters speculating that Smart and Doncic had some sort of relationship prior to teaming up this summer. "When you get a guy like Luka (Doncic), calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you're at to see if you wanted to come join something special that he's trying to cook up over here (Lakers), and for him to say that he could really use my help, that meant a lot," Smart said via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Smart explained that they weren't necessarily friends in the past, but they had a mutual respect for each other. Particularly, they would commend each other after doing battle on the hardwood. "I wouldn't say it was a relationship," Smart continued. "But we definitely had a mutual understanding of respect for each other. After every game playing, it was always flowers."Rob Pelinka sets high expectations for Marcus SmartMarcus Smart has been in the NBA for 12 seasons. Throughout his tenure, he's built a reputation for being one of the best defenders in the league today. Looking at his numbers, Smart has never averaged under 1.0 steals per game. Aside from securing the ball, Smart is also known for forcing stops and turnovers, which would also secure his team's possession. Having that in mind, LA Lakers President and General Manager Rob Pelinka is expecting to see Smart's tenacity next season. Pelinka believes that his skill set is what the Lakers need to win their 18th championship in franchise history. "Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level," Pelinka said via SI.com. "Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else — whether that's making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games."The only issue right now is that Smart is an injury-prone player. Looking at his last three seasons, he was never able to play more than 20 regular-season games. While there's no denying Smart's assets on the hardwood, remaining available for the team will be key to the Lakers' success.