Getty Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are in short supply when it comes to tradeable assets. Boasting numerous young talents that haven’t made their mark and a handful of veterans who have struggled for relevance in recent seasons, the Celtics don’t project to have things easy leading up to the trade deadline.
However, one player who always draws interest from opposing teams is Marcus Smart. The defensive-minded guard continually finds his name linked with every trade rumor at this time of year, and it’s always difficult to gauge the validity of those reports. However, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Boston has been involved in serious trade discussions surrounding their starting point guard.
“Another interesting Hawks tidbit: Before Atlanta sent Reddish to New York, the Hawks and Celtics discussed a framework that would have swapped Marcus Smart for Kevin Heurter and Reddish, sources said. It’s unclear how far that dialogue progressed,” Fischer wrote.
Marcus Smart is officially trade eligible.
What will the Celtics do with Smart between now and the deadline?
Smart’s unique skillset makes it difficult to quantify his value to other teams around the league. Most fans will feel like the trade package Boston and Atlanta discussed is not fair value for their defensive stalwart. However, Smart’s new contract, coupled with his limited offensive game, makes it hard to find a deal that works for both sides.
Boston Would Want ‘Significant Value’ To Trade Smart
Beyond Smart’s defensive impact, he’s also shown improvement in his playmaking ability this season and is quickly establishing himself as the team’s best passer. It’s pretty clear when watching the Celtics play that their ball movement is faster and often crisper when the veteran guard initiates the offense.
“It will take significant value in return, sources said, for Boston to ever part with Smart. There’s still a sense around the league that a healthy Celtics unit could fare far better down the stretch of this regular season than Boston’s early growing pains under head coach Ime Udoka have so far produced,” Fischer noted in his article.
Marcus Smart’s playmaking is underrated
Of course, no player outside of Jayson Tatum can be considered untouchable, and should a team table an offer that provides Boston with a suitable return, Smart will likely be on the move. The issue is that most teams are set in their guard rotations, and the ones that already consider themselves playoff teams or contenders will be reluctant to give up some of their better rotation pieces.
Smart’s new contract will also be a stumbling block for interested teams, as he’s no longer viewed as a low-cost, high-impact asset after signing a four-year $76.5 million extension during the summer, which kicks in at the end of this season. So, while any team who trades for Smart will get a player under a long-term contract, matching salaries while keeping their core intact will be a difficult hurdle to clear.
Celtics Shopping Other Players
By this point, we’re all used to seeing Smart’s name included in trade rumors, and it’s par for the course for Celtics fans. But, we can rest assured that the Celtics are taking calls about some of their other players too.
“Al Horford’s name has been mentioned more often in trade conversations this week. The 35-year-old has just $14.5 million of next season’s $26.5 million salary guaranteed for any team in search of upcoming cap relief, but there would seem to be a limited market for the veteran center.
Dennis Schroder and Aaron Nesmith continued to be labeled as likely trade candidates by league personnel as well. Getting out of the tax appears to remain a key goal for Boston,” Fischer shared.
Does Brad Stevens have another move up his sleeve before the NBA trade deadline?
Highlighting a few players who could look good in Celtics green 👀
The trio of Al Horford, Aaron Nesmith, and Dennis Schroder will undoubtedly be able to net the Celtics a valuable return, either as a package or as individual deals. Still, the return for those players (even if you included Smart) would not be a star player. Philadelphia 76ers GM Daryl Morey isn’t going to entertain a package centered around an aging Horford or expiring Schroder, so that takes Ben Simmons off the table. And the Portland Trail Blazers likely hang up if Boston is asking about Jusuf Nurkic or CJ McCollum too.
Yet, moving some of the team’s aging guys or players who don’t project to have a long-term future with the team makes sense. Even if those moves only equate to getting under the luxury tax.
It does make you wonder, though: What exactly is the fair value for Marcus Smart – or any other member of the roster for that matter.