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A year after the Boston Celtics traded him, Marcus Smart could be on the move again. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that there is traction that the Memphis Grizzlies could reunite Smart with former Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
“The idea that the Rockets could trade Wednesday’s No. 3 overall pick to Memphis for No. 9 and Marcus Smart — so the Grizzlies can draft Donovan Clingan — is being mentioned with increasing regularity by various league insiders,” Stein wrote in a June 24 story.
Udoka previously coached the Celtics during the 2021-22 season before they suspended and later fired him for misconduct. After spending the 2022-23 season away from coaching, he finished his first year calling the shots for the Rockets.
No matter who he plays for, Smart will enter the 2024-25 season coming off the most injury-plagued season of his career. He appeared in 20 games for the Grizzlies, as he missed most of the season because of injuries. He and Udoka have extensive experience with each other. Udoka not only coached Smart on the Celtics but also coached Smart on Team USA in 2019.
Smart will enter the third year of a four-year contract worth $76 million. The Rockets finished with a record of
Marcus Smart Gets Candid on Celtics Title
Smart played a vital role in helping the Celtics be a regular playoff contender year in and year out. From 2014 to 2023, the Celtics made the playoffs every year with Smart on the team. After watching the Celtics win their 18th title without him, Smart gave his candid thoughts on the matter.
“I know everybody’s expecting me to be salty,” he said on the June 25 episode of “Run Your Race.” “There’s no animosity. It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling. It’s definitely tough because I was in the trenches with them. To not be able to finish what you started with those guys is definitely tough.”
Smart added how happy he was to watch Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown win together as a duo.
“It was great to see those two guys come in the way that they came in and just dominate,” Smart said on “Run Your Race.”
“When they stepped on the floor, you was like, ‘We gotta watch out.’ There was no stopping them from the start. We saw that. We noticed it. That’s why they’re where they’re at now. Shout out to Jaylen and Jayson and the Boston Celtics. Congratulations on the championship.”
If that’s not enough, Smart praised Tatum and Brown for how they got as far as they did.
“They built that. They went through the mud and didn’t skip any steps. I was with them for nine years. It’s no coincidence they reached their goal. I’m just so proud of them, proud to be in the trenches with them.”
Marcus Smart Says He Rooted for Celtics in NBA Finals
Smart added that he cheered on his former Celtics teammates during the NBA Finals because of his closeness to them.
“My wife will tell you, I was screaming for those guys when they won it, just as much as anyone else,” he said. “Like I said, I have love for those guys, and I know the work that they put in.”
Though Smart admitted that it wasn’t easy watching the Celtics pull it off, he clearly doesn’t hold any grudges against anyone in Boston.
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