Report: There's a 'really good market' for Marcus Smart if Celtics decide to trade him

Boston Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck recently admitted he's "prepared" for significant changes to the team's roster this offseason. 

With Kemba Walker already off to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it appears Boston's other point guard, Marcus Smart, might also be a trade candidate. 

On the latest episode of The Ringer's "Bill Simmons Podcast," Simmons and Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix suggested that there is a "really good market" for Smart if the Celtics decide to trade him. Simmons said, as transcribed by Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston:

"My feeling is either Marcus gets extended or traded, but it'll happen in the next six weeks and it'll be one or the other. And I would lean toward the extension, but I wouldn't be surprised if they traded him for, I don't know, the seventh pick with the Warriors. ... The 7-9 range is probably his value because I do think contending teams really value him because they've seen him in three conference finals teams. They know he could be a fourth or fifth guy on a really good team."

Mannix mentioned the Portland Trail Blazers as a potential destination for Smart, adding that C.J. McCollum could head to Boston in a possible swap:

"If Portland keeps Lillard — that's why [CJ] McCollum is intriguing for Boston, because Smart would probably complement Lillard differently at least than McCollum does. The biggest problem in Portland is there's no defensive backstop there. There's nobody that can guard wings the way Smart can. So you put Smart next to Lillard, you take a lot of pressure off him in that sense. There's a really good market for Marcus Smart."

Smart is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, and, as Simmons said, it's more likely the Celtics offer him an extension. 

The 27-year-old is often described as the heart and soul of the Celtics. New head coach Ime Udoka even called Smart "invaluable" and a "foundational piece" for Boston. 

If the Celtics do decide to part ways with Smart, his absence would be felt both on the court and in the locker room. Considering both the pros and cons of trading the former sixth overall pick will certainly weigh on president of basketball operations Brad Stevens as he attempts to build the C's into a legitimate title contender.