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Will the Celtics regret trading Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies?

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated09 Nov 2023

Will the Boston Celtics regret trading Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies

As part of a three-team trade in June, the Boston Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards and dealt Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston also sent its 35th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to Washington. The Wizards received Danilo Gallinari, Julian Phillips, and Mike Muscala from the Celtics.

Through seven games of the 2023-24 season, the Celtics are 5-2 and rank third in the Eastern Conference standings. Porzingis is averaging 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game this season with Boston. Adding Porzingis was perfect. When healthy, he’s one of the most clutch big men in the NBA.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, the Boston Celtics are the odds-on favorites to win this season’s championship. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.


However, Marcus Smart currently leads the league in steals, with 21. Paul George (18) ranks second, followed by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (17), Deandre Ayton (16), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (16), and Donovan Mitchell (16). Boston traded away its best defensive player.

Smart, 29, won NBA Defensive Player of the Year with the Celtics in the 2021-22 season after averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 32.3 minutes per game.

More importantly, the Celtics have lost back-to-back games this season after winning its first five contests. In Monday night’s 114-109 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a couple of fans made excuses because the C’s played without Derrick White.

Should the Boston Celtics have added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday while retaining Marcus Smart?

Note that White returned to the starting lineup Wednesday night, and Boston still lost 106-103 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jayson Tatum was held to 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Furthermore, Jaylen Brown ended his night with just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field. Boston’s reserves, Sam Hauser and Al Horford, combined for 16 points off the bench.

The Sixers and Bucks are the two greatest threats to Boston in the Eastern Conference.

When Tatum and Brown are both held to under 20 points, Boston is arguably one of the worst playoff teams in the East. Shutting down a team’s top-two scorers will make any contender play like garbage.


But the Tatum-Brown duo is no subpar, scrub pair. The Celtics stars together have 25 career 30-point games, which is close to Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook (34) and Kobe Bryant-Shaquille-O’Neal (33).

Of course, Durant and Westbrook never won a championship together. Durant won both of his rings and Finals MVPs with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Tatum and Brown have yet to win their first.

The Celtics are better in the paint with Porzingis, but their backcourt is worse defensively without Smart. At the moment, Tatum is averaging a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Though, Tatum is hot and cold from one game to the next. He lacks consistency.

Did anyone else want to see a Boston team with Porzingis and Smart? Jrue Holiday is averaging 13.4 points per game and 37.5% shooting from deep with the C’s. Offensively, he’s an upgrade over Smart right now.

But keep in mind that Smart is also playing on a 1-7 Grizzlies team without Ja Morant.

It’s too bad that Celtics general manager Brad Stevens couldn’t acquire Porzingis while retaining Smart. The 2023-24 season just started, so only time will tell whether this assessment will age poorly or like fine wine.