Former Defensive Player of the Year emerging as potential trade candidate

With the Feb. 6 trade deadline fast approaching, teams around the league are looking to improve their rosters or race toward the draft lottery. 

The realities of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) have firmly set in, so multiple contending teams have made little noise over the past few weeks.

However, teams on the outskirts of contention are expected to be busy making calls. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, some of those calls are likely being directed toward the Memphis Grizzlies, as Marcus Smart is emerging as a potential trade candidate.

"One Memphis player to watch over the next week is guard Marcus Smart," Bontemps reported. "League sources told me there has been plenty of discussion about the former Defensive Player of the Year in recent weeks. With more than 100 playoff games under his belt, Smart could be an interesting option for playoff teams, though he has played only a combined 38 games overall across the past two seasons in Memphis due to a series of injuries."

Smart, 30, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He's a proven commodity when slotting into a rotation that includes star-level players. His playmaking ability is one of his most underrated skills, allowing him to become a connective tissue for any team he suits up for. 

Nevertheless, Smart's defense will have teams salivating at the prospect of adding him to their roster. He's battle-tested in both the regular season and the playoffs. If he can overcome the injury issues that have blighted his time in Memphis, he could be a legitimate swing factor for a team on the cusp of contention. 

It's also worth remembering that the Boston Celtics made the 2022 NBA Finals with Smart as their starting point guard. That should prove he's capable of being a core member of a contending team's rotation. 

It remains to be seen what Memphis will ask for Smart in return. His current contract has one more year left, and he will earn $20 million this season and $21 million next. After two injury-plagued years with Memphis, it makes sense that Taylor Jenkins would likely approve of the franchise looking elsewhere.

Still, if Smart can get and stay healthy, any team he joins will instantly improve its overall defense. That can be the difference between a first-round exit and a trip to the conference finals in the NBA.