Do the Boston Celtics need to trade Marcus Smart to ‘break up their core’?

While it might be true he is among Boston’s more moveable contracts, we aren’t so sure things are so cut-and-dry.

It is fair to say that veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart is a polarizing figure, with some seeing the proverbial glass as half full, and the others blaming the Flower Mound native for the Celtics’ shortcomings in the half-empty point of view.

The latter perspective is canon for Boston Globe columnist Christopher L. Gasper, who believed the Celtics need to ship out the former No. 6 pick for a player who changes the team’s fortunes in a way that echoes the anonymous sources of a recent, controversial Tim Bontemps piece on ESPN. To his credit, however, Gasper isn’t afraid to attach his name to his own controversial take.

“Where are the Celtics headed on the road to Banner No. 18? Nowhere fast. They’re the proverbial hoops hamster on the wheel of NBA contention. Round and round they go, staying in the same place,” opens the Globe columnist.