According to reports, the Celtics seem to be focused on moving one of their guards.
According to a league source, the Celtics have been exploring trades that would reduce some of the congestion in their talented backcourt and bolster their depth at the wing or big positions.
We’ve discussed at length here the logic behind moving Malcolm Brogdon or Payton Pritchard (or both). But those aren’t the only guards on the roster. I am very skeptical that the Celtics would consider moving Derrick White considering that he might be the Celtics 3rd most important player on a bargain deal. So that leaves Marcus Smart.
As a long standing Love & Truster, I’m against considering this with all my heart. Of course, my heart doesn’t always make the best decisions. So as a semi-responsible blogger, I feel it necessary to explore the possibility of trading Smart instead of Brogdon.
The original Boston Sports Guy suggested a trade on his podcast of Smart to the Dallas Mavs for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the number 10 pick. That makes some sense because Hardaway is more of a wing and the 10th pick could give the Celtics a cost controlled talent to build out the bench with.
The only logic that makes sense to me is selling on a player a year too early instead of a year too late. Smart’s defense slipped this season and it wasn’t his best offensive season either. Is that a sign that his best years are behind him? Or was it a one year blip?
The thing is, he can still play defense. I’d venture that he’s forgotten more about defense than many NBA players will ever know. If the Celtics want to regain their defensive identity next season, it will help to have a guy like Smart running it.
So I leave this to you to discuss and debate (be nice) in the comments. Enjoy the spirited discussion.
