The Boston Celtics made a big move on Wednesday night when they decided to send Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that landed Kristaps Porzingis at TD Garden.
The Celtics completed the big move by sending their long-time point guard to the Memphis Grizzlies, who also sent Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards. This was completely unexpected around the NBA, and Smart couldn’t believe what happened after learning about the news.
“A gut punch,” said one source close to the point guard, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. “Complete shock.”
This came after Smart talked with people close to him on Wednesday, sharing his feelings about this surprising move. The veteran was surprised that he was selected out of all the guards the Celtics have on the roster right now.
“Marcus loves Boston. He thought he was going to retire there. He wanted to retire there,” one source said.
Smart reportedly re-shaped his focus and is now set to join the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that met him in 2018 when he was a restricted free agent. Now, they are getting a solid and proven point guard that can lead the locker room and make an impact on and off the court.
In 61 games last season, Smart averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Celtics. He ultimately accepted that this is a business, and regardless of how close he felt to Boston, he’s set to compete and win with the Grizzlies.
The Boston Celtics Aren’t Done Making Moves This Offseason
Before the Smart deal went through, the Los Angeles Clippers were involved. They were close to landing Malcolm Brogdon, but his injury history made the deal fall apart. The Grizzlies showed up to complete this three-team deal and ultimately landed Smart.
With this move, the Grizzlies have the last two DPOY award winner on the roster, set to become a nightmare for rivals.
As for the Celtics, they are reportedly not done making moves, and after landing Porzingis and trading Marcus Smart, the C’s could keep bolstering their ranks ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
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