Former Celtics guard Marcus Smart thought he would retire in Boston
If you woke up Thursday morning surprised by Boston's three-team trade for Kristaps Porzingis, you aren't alone. So was Marcus Smart.
Per Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, Smart believed he was going to be a Celtic for life.
Boston ended up completing its deal for Porzingis late Wednesday but it came at a steeper price than what was initially reported. Instead of dealing backup guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers, the Celtics dealt Smart to the Grizzlies.
Smart was named the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year and was the longest-tenured player on the Celtics. Yet while he was viewed as the heart and soul of the franchise, Boston wasn't lifeless without him.
In 21 games Smart sat out in 2022-23, Boston was 14-7 (.667), and 43-18 (.705) with him.
The Celtics also managed to get two first-round picks out of the Grizzles in the three-team deal, making it an altogether impressive haul for Boston's best perimeter defender.
The trade still satisfies Boston's biggest need while leaving open a few questions. What does the team plan to do with Brogdon? Who's the starting point guard? Which Celtics bigs (Porzingis, Al Horford and Robert Williams) will be on the court in crunch time?
All of that is irrelevant to Smart, whose biggest question in Memphis is how he plans to reach the youthful Grizzlies. On the plus side, Smart may enjoy playing operating an offense that isn't "random," like how he described Boston's.
Once the shock of being traded wears off, Smart could be exactly the type of player Memphis needs.
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