In a shocking turn of events, the Celtics have made a trade that will send Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. This move comes as part of a three-team trade where the Wizards send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The original three-team deal that would have sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers fell through.
The Celtics Trade Marcus Smart: Why It Was the Right Move
Less than 24 hours later, there are mixed feelings about this trade with the Grizzlies and whether the Celtics made the right move. It is difficult letting go of a player as intense and gritty as Smart. However, put all feelings to the side; this was the right basketball move for the Celtics.
Only Viable Way to Get Porzingis
The most important story here is the Celtics still ended up with Porzingis, which was their goal throughout the whole process. Porzingis is a much-needed big that will be a great fit for Boston. The reason the original three-team trade didn’t go through is that the Clippers are “concerned” about Brogdon’s injury status. In fact, Brian Windhorst reported on Thursday that due to his injury status, there doesn’t appear to be any potential trade for Brogdon in the short term. Because of this, Smart looked like the only asset that could be traded.
Ultimately, it was Brad Stevens’ goal to acquire Porzingis in any way possible within reason. Trading Brogdon, at least for now, is off the table, and the Celtics still have a logjam in the backcourt. Payton Pritchard doesn’t have the contract or trade value to have been the main piece in the trade. Also, Derrick White, at this point, is the better fit for the Celtics. In fact, White is probably the biggest winner of this deal.
This Move Clears the Backcourt Logjam
When the Celtics acquired White in February 2022, it was expected that he would just be another solid player off the bench and nothing more. As a matter of fact, that is likely why the Celtics acquired Brogdon last offseason–they needed more backcourt depth. Although White was a good fit from the beginning on paper, nobody could’ve expected him to blossom in Boston the way he has. White started a career-high 70 games last season while playing in all 82 and earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.
During his short time in Boston, White has proven that he can step up when needed, play gritty defense, and hit clutch shots on offense. White has improved over the last few seasons and showed that he is a perfect fit for the Celtics. Trading Smart will allow White a better opportunity to make his impact felt on the court, and truth be told, White is the best Smart replacement possible as is. White is just as good of a defender and is much more efficient on offense.
This trade may also open things up for Pritchard. Although Pritchard recently requested a trade, he is still currently with the team. One has to wonder if trading Smart will give Pritchard more motivation to stay with the squad. Though he’s gotten very limited playing time since getting drafted in 2020, Pritchard has shown offensive potential and has acted as a solid sparkplug when needed.
Celtics Needed a Shake Up
The Celtics have had the same core for a few seasons and don’t have much to show for it. Outside of one NBA Finals appearance in 2022, the Celtics’ core of Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum haven’t amounted to much together. Stevens is clearly in win-now mode with this move and likely didn’t want to just ride the wave out with this core. Trading Smart was the most logical way to shake up the core while staying in title contention.
The Last Word on Boston Trading Smart
In all, it is difficult trading someone who has been with the team for nine seasons. As we can assume with the original three-team trade, getting rid of Smart was probably not Stevens’ first option. That said, the Celtics needed to give something to get something back. Many people gave Smart the title of Boston’s defensive anchor and the “heart and soul” of the team. Although this isn’t wrong, considering Smart was the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, there is more to it.
Last season, Smart regressed. Sure, his Defensive Rating was 111.7, over four points higher than it was the year prior, but Smart didn’t necessarily pass the eye test. Many of those hustle plays he’s made a name of himself for were rare last year, and there wasn’t really anything he did better than White. Smart is a serviceable PG, but he was never a true playmaker, and that showed for much of last season. His growth on offense has stunted as well. His inconsistent and sometimes frustrating decisions on offense cost the Celtics many games, especially in crunch-time situation
Stevens is surely not done, as the offseason has barely begun. This trade with the Grizzlies is just one domino that needed to fall. Getting Porzingis was the biggest motivation for this trade. Trading Marcus Smart was the only logical way for the Celtics to do that, however. Smart does benefit from this trade to the Grizzlies as they always thrive on being gritty and tough. It is obvious that Smart will be missed in Boston. The Celtics needed to switch it up, though, and Smart was simply just the odd man out.
