Over the past nine seasons, no one player better embodied Boston Celtics basketball than Marcus Smart. And fresh off one of the best seasons of his career and an incredibly strong postseason, there was plenty of excitement around the year the 29-year-old had put together and what could be in store for next year.
But following a trade involving the Celtics, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers that went haywire earlier in the day Wednesday, one that Smart was not included in, things got a bit off the rails. As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the initial deal included the Celtics acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Malcolm Brogdon heading to the Clippers and the Wizards receiving Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, Danilo Gallinari and the No. 30 pick in this year's NBA Draft.
That deal, which would have left the Celtics with their same current trio of guards while adding Porzingis to the mix, fell apart after the Clippers reportedly raised concerns about Brogdon's injury status, as Marc Stein revealed. And with the Clippers' concerns looming, the Celtics opted to search for a new deal, and this one resulted in the fan-favorite Smart being sent out of town.
As ESPN and Wojnarowski detailed, the finalized trade included the Wizards receiving Tyus Jones, Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the Celtics' pick at No. 35 in this year's draft. The Celtics moved Smart in the deal but added Porzingis and two first-round picks - the No. 25 selection this year, and a 2024 first-round pick originally held by the Warriors. The third team in the revised trade is the Memphis Grizzlies, who added Smart, who'll likely start for Ja Morant during the young star's 25-game suspension.
When evaluating the two reported trade packages, both of which brought Porzingis to Boston, it's no surprise that most fans seem to have been far more open to Brogdon being dealt instead of Smart. Following the second trade coming together, the initial report that Porzingis would still be on the move to Boston came with a positive reception ... until it was revealed that Smart was among the players on the way out.
Here are just a few of the reactions from fans, writers, analysts and anyone in-between who voiced their opinion on Smart's departure.
This really sucks man. I thought Marcus Smart would be a lifer. They always valued him higher than other teams
— Fremen Jake (@Handsome_Jake_) June 22, 2023
You meant so much to the community. We will always love you Marcus @smart_MS3 pic.twitter.com/36pCvpzgqZ
— Celtics Army☘️ (@Celticcs) June 22, 2023
We're not supposed to have favorites.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) June 22, 2023
But that's not how this, or life works.
It was an honor to spend nine years working with Marcus Smart, calling his games, and describing his often indescribable feats of will.
Will that made him the very definition of a Celtic.
Trading Marcus Smart and filler for Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks is a coup for the Celtics if you're playing 2k
— Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) June 22, 2023
In the real world, trading the heartbeat of the team for a one-year rental of a sketchy, injury-prone guy is a CHOICE
Marcus Smart was really the connective tissue of this Celtics era. From Isaiah to Kyrie to Tatum, he was the constant.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 22, 2023
And he embraced being a Celtic as much as anyone. He lived it. Wild that it's over so suddenly.
While the decision to trade Smart won't be the popular one with many people, the Celtics picking up two first-round picks with Porzingis, who's coming off arguably the best year of his NBA career, is a big move for the franchise. Porzingis posted a career-high in points per game last season with 23.2 while also producing the best season of his career from an all-around shooting perspective. The 7-foot-3, 27-year-old shot a career-best 49.8 percent from the field and put together his second-best NBA season from beyond the arc, knocking down 38.5 percent of his attempts.
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