What once seemed like a bit of a “run it back” scenario, with the Celtics tweaking the team’s balance by looking to move a backcourt player in order to fortify the frontcourt, feels more like a pivot to a whole new direction.
Wednesday began innocently enough, with the Celtics Twitter account posting a Marcus Smart hype video. It’s one of those pieces of content meant to keep the fandom engaged as the offseason rolls on. Little did we know Smart had played his last game in Boston.
The Celtics' offseason plan to recalibrate their roster took a turn when the Washington Wizards decided this was the time for a tear-down. Suddenly, Bradley Beal and others on the roster were available in an ‘everything must go’ sell off. Boston went from trying to find a big who fit to trying to reel in a big fish in Kristaps Porzingis.
They thought they had him in a three-way deal with the Clippers, sending Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles in a package to net Porzingis. The Clippers reportedly had an issue with Brogdon’s forearm injury, and with time of the essence due to a midnight deadline for Porzingis to opt in or out of the final year of his deal and $36 million, Boston moved on to plan B.
That meant getting the Memphis Grizzlies involved, and they didn’t want Brogdon. The focus shifted to a Smart-centered deal, but because the Celtics valued Smart more highly than Brogdon, they were able to get draft compensation from Memphis.
The final framework of the deal looks like this:
Boston gets: Kristaps Porzingis, Memphis' 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick via Golden State.
Washington gets: Danillo Galinari, Mike Muscala, 2023 35th overall pick from Boston, Tyus Jones from Memphis.
Memphis gets: Marcus Smart
The Celtics can spin this a couple of ways. Giving up Smart for two first-round picks, even lower ones, is good compensation. The Wizards couldn't even manage the outright acquisition of first-round picks from Phoenix for Beal -- which admittedly is under much different circumstances but it’s still a decent haul. They can also say they flipped Gallo, Muscala, and a second for Porzingis, which is really impressive.
So overall, the Celtics made out pretty well in the deal.
However, you don’t trade away the longest-tenured player without it feeling like the team has pivoted.
I’ve been saying that Boston needed to make a decision on Smart. I lobbied for the ball to be in his hands more, basically arguing that Boston’s offensive success is directly correlated to how much he’s running things on this end of the floor. But if it wasn’t going to be running the offense as the primary ball handler, then they needed to move on.
I don’t think it went down quite like that because Brogdon was the initial player moved. The pivot to Smart only happened after that, but at the same time, it feels like Smart became more expendable because of the style Joe Mazzulla chose to play. They didn’t go out and shop Smart because of the style of play, but they didn’t shy away from moving Smart because of it either.
Now Boston has to make a choice. Are they going to bring Brogdon back after trading him away only to have the other team renege? If they do, are they going to start him or continue bringing him off the bench? Do they trust Derrick White enough to be the team’s full-time starting point guard?
While all that's worked out, Porzingis comes in as a bona fide third scorer. While I’m personally not the biggest Porzingis fan, he is 7’3” and he shot 38.5% from 3 last year. He had one of his best seasons in the NBA and he’ll only be 28 when next season starts. His length and shooting ability would give Boston some more varied offensive options as a standalone center or with either Robert Williams or Al Horford on the floor with him.
It would also allow Horford to take a step back to the bench and prepare himself for a minimized regular season role and, perhaps, an expanded role in the playoffs.
There are certainly injury concerns with Porzingis, but with Williams and Horford on the roster, Boston’s frontcourt might be able to divvy up the minutes in a way that takes the strain off everyone.
The variety of ways that Porzingis can score, plus his increased defensive effectiveness, especially at the rim, make him a really strong addition to the team. Starting him with Robert Williams, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White could make Boston an elite defensive team because no one will want to drive on the Celtics.
There is a bust potential for this trade, but mainly due to potential injury. If the Celtics can find a way to stay healthy, this can improve them and get them a championship.
Boston fandom is split in two right now. A very vocal crowd of “trade Smart” folks are celebrating right now. The pro-Smart portion of the fandom is upset. Both have their reasons for feeling the way they do.
I think the Celtics will ultimately be better after this trade, so it’s hard to argue against it. I do also believe there will be times when Boston will miss Smart. He was very good at organizing the team, and he was their best passer. That's a legitimate loss. It will be noticeable.
But White’s vast improvement over the course of the season and Brogdon’s steadiness off the bench (presuming he does, indeed, return now) will minimize that loss. White especially became critical to Boston’s success. He’ll now have a bigger role, which he deserves.
Smart was a strong voice in that locker room, and though he got into it during passionate moments with his teammates, he had everyone’s respect. If there is one lesson for a locker room that may be stung by the loss of a team leader like Smart, it’s that the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of those who remain in the locker room. If they had taken care of business when they had the opportunities, Smart would probably still smell like a mixture of champagne, Michelob Ultra, and cigars. The missed opportunities to win championships have consequences, and this is one of them.