Marcus Smart’s Grizzlies Teammate Floated as Celtics Trade Target

“He will make a hair less than (Jaden) Springer, and Boston could use a combo big to back up—and serve as insurances against injuries to Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis.

“Aldama will cost more in total assets than Xavier Tillman (a free agent this summer). That’s fine. Boston has an armory of seconds, not to mention some firsts, (that) it can dangle. His prospective fit is good enough to contemplate giving up No. 30 as part of any package, even as he enters a contract year. Aldama is pretty good at positioning himself in the right spots on defense, his three-point clip will tick up above 35 percent on the Celtics, and he has some shiftiness to him off the dribble.”

The Celtics already acquired one of Smart’s teammates in Memphis, Tillman, at the deadline. If Tillman leaves in the offseason, Aldama might be worth looking into.

Marcus Smart Trade Called ‘Biggest Regret’ by Analyst

Though trading Smart for Porzingis worked out great for the Celtics, it didn’t turn out the same with Memphis. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes explained why he sees acquiring Smart as Memphis’ “biggest regret” this season.

“In the wake of a snakebit season during which none of the Grizzlies’ best-case scenarios materialized, the trade that brought Smart aboard looks like a disaster. He logged just 20 games and couldn’t help Memphis avoid one of the most disappointing seasons in the league,” Hughes wrote in an April 16 story.

What makes the trade look worse on Memphis’ end is who they gave up to get Smart.

“Tyus Jones went to the Washington Wizards in the three-team exchange that landed Smart, and the Grizzlies’ previous backup point guard shot 41.4 percent from deep and led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for the sixth straight season. He probably would have been a better caretaker in Morant’s absence than Smart, even if the latter had been healthy.”

Hughes added that Smart’s rugged style should have let the Grizzlies know that “missed time should have been the expectation.”

Luke Kornet Predicted to Reunite With Marcus Smart

The Celtics will have multiple players who will hit free agency, like Tillman and Luke Kornet. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley explained why it’s in the Celtics’ best interest to keep him around, but he’s also not optimistic that he will.

“He is someone the Celtics should want to keep. The question is whether they can afford him. They’ll be in the second apron next season, so they’ll have to carefully manage their finances, particularly when it comes to fleshing out the roster around their stars. Kornet is helpful to have, but is he a necessity? That probably hinges on how the market views him.

“Prediction: Kornet signs with the Memphis Grizzlies,” Buckley wrote in an April 11 story.

Buckley also predicted that the Celtics would re-sign Tillman, which would make the prospect of losing Kornet not too bad.