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When the Boston Celtics acquired Derrick White at the trade deadline, there were a lot of people concerned with the overlap between their new addition and Marcus Smart.
Both players are known as defensive-minded guards, and neither set the pulse racing when it comes to their offensive production. However, according to Brad Stevens, the Celtics are excited to add another defensive presence into their rotation.
“It’s about adding guys that you think and can see playing in a seven-game, knock down, drag out playoff series and you know they can be on the floor and play in a role in helping you win,” Stevens told the media on February 11, following the teams’ active trade deadline.
However, not everybody believes that White and Smart will co-exist on the same team, and some view White’s signing as potential insurance should the Celtics decide to move on from their longest-tenured player in the summer.
Trading Smart Could Cause a Bidding War
Whenever the trade deadline rolls around, Marcus Smart’s name is never far from people’s minds. Contending teams see the value in the veteran’s defensive presence while rebuilding teams view him as the perfect culture setter. Frankly, everybody wants a Smart on their team, but ultimately, only one team can be so lucky.
Of course, we could expect the usual suspects to be interested, if the Celtics were to move on from their defensive pitbull. The Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Dallas Mavericks have all been linked with trades for Smart in recent seasons, as they look to accentuate their offensively talented rosters.
According to a recent article from Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett, one source noted that if the Celtics decided to make Smart available for a trade, their phones would be inundated with valuable offers.
“I think they’ve got to want to keep both those guys. I would. But, whoa, you’d see a feeding frenzy if White plays really well and Smart becomes available,” The source said, “That would be wild to see. I’ve seen Marcus catch hell from some fans up there, but coaches love a guy who plays like that.”
However, with Boston looking to develop an identity as the best defensive team in the NBA, it’s unlikely they would split up such a defensively dynamic pairing, especially when White and Smart are both capable playmakers too.
“Of course, Boston would probably be crazy to move him, but if someone makes you a stupid good offer. … But we’re dumb to even talk about it at this point. I’m sorry I brought it up,” The source told Bulpett.
White Has Encouraging Celtics Debut
We didn’t have to wait long to witness the Smart and White pairing, as the Celtics latest addition participated in the team’s February 11 victory against the Denver Nuggets, despite only joining the team a day earlier.
White played the final 17 minutes of Boston’s game and provided the team with 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 28 minutes of play. White also benefitted from knowing Ime Udoka from their time together in San Antonio and seemed to have a reasonable understanding of the Celtics playbook from the jump.
“Very smart player that does a lot of things very well, don’t miss a beat with him out there in a lot of ways. His pace, passing ability, scoring ability, shooting ability, defense, and simple things like running to corners and spacing out. Things that have been ingrained in him, that he’s drilled, we saw it all carry over tonight,” Udoka said of White following the game.
Judging by all the comments coming out of the team since they acquired White, the Celtics intend to develop their roster based on defensive versatility, and having Smart as part of their perimeter duo seems to be their primary thought process right now.
While every team in the league might be watching how things unfold in Boston over the coming months, you needn’t worry about Smart’s place on the Celtics roster. If anything, adding White to the rotation has strengthened the veteran guard’s position within the team, because now, we can clearly see what Stevens’ vision is for the future Celtics, and Smart is integral to it.
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