After running in neutral for much of the first half of the season, the Boston Celtics appear to be headed in the right direction as we approach the All-Star break — and Marcus Smart’s resurgent play has plenty to do with that. The 27-year-old has strung together arguably the best span of his NBA career since returning to the C’s lineup on January 23. Over his last seven games, Smart has averaged 11 points, 6.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds leading Boston to a 6-1 record during that period.
To some, Smart’s recent surge has fans convinced the point guard will continue to don green and white past the February 10 deadline. To others, they perceive it as Smart boosting his trade value at the perfect time.
It’s been widely reported over recent weeks that Boston has engaged in trade discussions with numerous teams revolving around Smart’s availability. The Minnesota Timberwolves are believed to be eying the defensive stalwart as a replacement for Patrick Beverley in their starting lineup, per Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. The Atlanta Hawks are another team that has been readily linked to a Smart trade. And should Atlanta happen to offer up the services of John Collins in a package, Mass Live’s Brian Robb believes Brad Stevens would be foolish not to pounce.
“Absolutely,” Robb wrote in his Boston Celtics Mailbag column when asked if he’d flip Smart for Collins. “Smart has been great since his return but Collins is a dream complement to Tatum and Brown at power forward from an offensive standpoint. He’s a shooter and lob threat that you can’t help off of.”
Smart-Collins Talks Won’t Go Away
Collins being floated as a fit in Boston and Smart being a potential complement to Trae Young in Atlanta’s backcourt is nothing new. The hypothetical trade-off has been tossed around on numerous occasions. In fact, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes predicted on February 3 that the deal will actually come to fruition prior to this year’s deadline: