The Boston Celtics finalized a deal to land Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier in exchange for Jeff Teague and two future second-round picks ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, Thursday afternoon.
The Magic are officially in a full-blown rebuild. Nikola Vucevic is heading to the Chicago Bulls along with Al-Farouq Aminu in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and two first-round picks.
Aaron Gordon, a player who was reportedly interested in heading to Boston, and while the feelings were mutual between him and one of the most storied franchises in the league, the Magic and Celtics failed to come to an agreement.
According to Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, Celtics veteran Marcus Smart was the deal-breaker. Instead of shipping up to Boston, Gordon, along with Gary Clark, will be joining the Denver Nuggets.
Orlando sent both to the Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and a 2025 first-round pick.
Mark Murphy On Marcus Smart: ‘May Have Been At The Top Of The Magic’s Wish List’
Prior to Thursday’s deadline, reports suggested a potential deal between the Celtics and Magic involving Smart, Gordon, and Fournier was potentially in the works. However, one source told the Boston Herald that despite the rumors, Smart was never mentioned in any of Danny Ainge’s trade proposals.
“The Celtics, on the hunt for a floor-spacing power forward who can also bolster the team’s lackluster defensive edge, have offered a first round pick and a young player, but not the one most often mentioned, the source (via the Herald) said when asked if the team would be forced to part with Smart to get a deal done,” Murphy wrote, via the Boston Herald.
“Marcus Smart is not on the table in the offer for Gordon, though the Celtics’ all-NBA defender may have been at the top of the Magic’s wish list. “I don’t think so,” the source (via the Boston Herald) said when asked if the team would be forced to part with Smart to get a deal done. Smart has been the most popular name mentioned by other teams in trade talks with the Celtics.”
Did The Celtics Miss A Golden Opportunity To Trade Marcus Smart?
Couldn’t imagine Orlando agreeing to trade Gordon to Boston in a deal that didn’t include, at least, Smart. Considering it cost the Nuggets players like Gary Harris and RJ Hampton, along with a future first-round pick, can’t help believing Smart and Celtics rookie Aaron Nesmith and a future first from Boston would have sealed the deal with the Magic.
Still, when you consider the issues that have plagued Boston all-season long, would it have been wise to part ways with Smart?
Smart, the team’s defensive anchor, and an NBA All-Defensive first-team selection would have been a devastating loss to the Celtics’ defense — which is currently ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency this season, per Teamrankings.com. But, without Gordon, the Celtics still have a void at the power forward position — which wasn’t addressed by Ainge when he pulled the trigger on a second deal.
Celtics Acquire Mo Wagner, Luke Kornet In Exchange For Daniel Theis, Javonte Green
As part of a three-team swap, Boston sent starting center Daniel Theis and forward Javonte Green to the Chicago Bulls for centers Mo Wagner and Luke Kornet from the Washington Wizards.
After seeing Semi Ojeleye go down with a hip injury Wednesday night in the Celtics’ 121-119 loss and Javonte head to the Bulls, Stevens could eventually be leaning on Wagner, along with Grant Williams, for heavy minutes at the power forward spot.
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Celtics Guard Was A ‘Deal-Breaker’ For Aaron Gordon: Report