Should the Boston Celtics consider dealing veteran point guard Marcus Smart?
Before you get out the torches and pitchforks, remember — we’re looking into the case for trading Smart.
The longest-tenured Celtic and often referred to as the heart and soul of the team has been off the table as a trade chip in most deals proposed by analysts over the last several seasons, and for good reason.
The Texan’s newfound-if-still-intermittent shooting would seem to make that even more the case, with the Flower Mound native only earning $12.5 million this season, a steal for the level of play Boston is getting.
Even considering all of this, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor made a bold statement in a recent article on players around the league to target, suggesting the Oklahoma State product ought to be high on opposing team’s list of trade targets.
The NBA trade market is expected to stay quiet between now and next Thursday’s deadline. But things can always heat up. Here are the players that I'd target in trades from players in rumors like Bogdan Bogdanovic to deep cuts like Denzel Valentine. @ringer https://t.co/4QzFVUSaCP
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 30, 2020
That of course implies that the Celtics would even be receptive to moving him, and for perhaps some players, it’d be hard to argue they shouldn’t. But what players, exactly, would be worth even picking up the phone, knowing over 400 of the NBA’s current employees wouldn’t fit that bill, if not more?
For O’Connor, who in fairness claims he wouldn’t trade Smart, the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls should be making calls this week to ask about his availability.
What could such a deal look like? O’Connor revealed his boss, Ringer head honcho Bill Simmons, suggested the following deal: Smart and Romeo Langford for Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen and Thaddeus Young.
While Markkanen’s upside is fascinating and Young’s fit with Boston a good one, this would be a clear downgrade in talent for the present, with a lot of question marks about the future.
There’s also not much of a financial incentive, either, as the Finnish big man will exit his rookie deal before Smart will end his current, high-value contract.
O’Connor offers Wendell Carter Jr. as an alternative centerpiece, who would offer some salary relief with a much firmer, higher floor. To get such a deal Boston would have to change the structure a bit, subbing point guard Ryan Arcidiacono or forward Cristiano Feliciano.
I love the idea of going after Wendell Carter Jr but I can't handle the idea of using Smart to get him.
Why must you do this to us @KevinOConnorNBA ?
— Celtics Stuff Live Duke (@csl_duke) January 30, 2020
Still, a team with a contention window open needs a convincing reason to shake up the franchise as much as dealing Smart would, and even with the Al-Horford like promise of Carter Jr., it’s not enough to warrant the move.
On the odd chance the Timberwolves decided they needed to move Karl-Anthony Towns, or some similar caliber of player, it might be worth the risk of upending the chemistry driving this season’s success.
But without such a clear-cut example of it improving the Celtics’ fortunes, Boston should hang up the phone at the mere mention of his name.
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