The Timberwolves remain interested in Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News said during an appearance on the Mackey & Judd podcast on SKOR North (Twitter link). However, Boston’s asking price for Smart may be too high for Minnesota.
“Here’s what I was told, I’m reading this verbatim: ‘Minnesota (is) definitely trying to trade for Marcus Smart,'” Wolfson said, quoting a source. “‘But unless they include a first-round pick or Jaden McDaniels in addition to Malik Beasley, (it) most likely doesn’t get done.'”
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said last week that Smart was on the Timberwolves’ radar, especially in the event that they move Patrick Beverley in a separate deal. However, Beverley still seems more likely to stay put than to be moved, in which case the Wolves probably wouldn’t make another defense-first guard like Smart their top priority.
While Boston and Minnesota may not end up making a deal involving Smart, the two teams have apparently been having a variety of trade discussions leading up to the deadline. A previous report stated that the Celtics explored a possible deal that would’ve sent Josh Richardson and either Romeo Langford or Aaron Nesmith to Minnesota in exchange for Beasley. The Wolves reportedly weren’t interested in that concept at the time.
Stupid Celtics thinks Marcus Smart is worth more than he really is. He is an overpaid version of Patrick Beverly. Not great.
Smart is much better than Beverly. Problem is Cs are severely disorganized, and needs a coach to limit his offensive ambitions. But I’d take Smart on my team e.g. Mavs, Grizz, Lakers, Hawks.
What is Smart better at than Beverly?
Playing basketball
How? What is he better at? They’re about even defensively. Smart is a worse shooter and has more turnovers. He also chucks up more bad shots than Beverly.
Smart is a better defender he plays solid team and individual D and will take on any position 1-5 and do an great to admirable job. He’s better on rotations and switches. Beverly does his job but he’s mainly just a pest and can’t guard wings or bigs. Smart can put the ball on the floor and and attack the basket while Beverly is at his best sitting in the corner and trying to hit 3s although with not much more success. .328 vs .307 is close to wash as they both are well below average. While having Smart as your primary ball handler isn’t his proper role he’s good secondary playmaker that just needs a good floor general playing next to him. There in lies the problem with the Celtics though. Smart, Tatum, Brown and Williams all need a floor general, the problem is there’s really only one good true PG left in the game and he’s busy leading the Suns to the best record in the NBA.
Looks like we found the only person in the world that doesn’t know Smart is better than Beverly.
Smart and the C’s have overvalued him throughout the years. Terrible shooter especially for a guard, but still takes (and most of the time misses) big shots down the stretch of close games. If Boston truly wants to shed salary, this would be a great move for them. The ball should always be in Tatum’s or Brown’s hands in crunch time. A classic example of addition by subtraction.
Smart has actually toned down the amount of shots and has focused more on being a PG since he came back from covid. C’s have played so much better the past 10 or so games since he redirected his focus. At his current contract, I don’t think that the C’s are overvaluing him at all.
Absolutely right! We already had a PG that couldn’t shoot in Rubio… why go there again?!
Patrick Beverley has been amazing this year, and the Celtics also shouldnt move Marcus Smart
Beasley, a 25-year-old guard who averaged 19.6 points per game last season while shooting 40% from 3-point range.
Good trade:
Trade offensive for defensive player
Wolves need to add a candy or diet coke though.
Beverley is not a diet coke because he has sugars.
Dude, you have to be funny to say weird things like that, otherwise you’re just a weirdo
You are definitely a chat bot…
You’ve outdone yourself.
As a mavs fan I would love to have smart. Great defender that can guard 1-3. Also a paid first guy
Smart is vastly overpaid. Defensive minded point guards that can’t shoot, have limited range shouldn’t be earning what he’s due. 4/76 mil. While he averaged 5 assists pleaaaaassssseee keep in mind he plays with Tatum and Brown. Those assists are empty in the sense that he doesn’t “run” an offense. He isn’t a high IQ pg that can read the defense, knows what they are trying to do and then proceed to move players around and dissect it. Not only that, his limited shooting goes hand in hand with lacking the cache to tell better players what to do, thus Taytum and Brown don’t respect him enough and tend to do as they please (ISO). Not everyone is going to have that cache like Paul, LBJ, Draymond e.t.c but the lack of a respected floor leader who can also space the floor AND earn the respect of others to follow their decision making is THE biggest problem for Boston. Get from under that contract and search for a real point guard. Not all assists are created equal and while Smart is a great glue guy he’s just not worth THAT much money (average of $19 mil per over never 4 years).
Lol, Knicks fan talking about overpaying.
@demian
Last I checked, I’m not the GM of the Knicks. What does that have to do with anything? I’m a Knicks fan, not employee.
People ALWAYS say that kind of thing when a guy signs a long term contract, In two years there will be around 150 guys in the NBA making more than 19M per year.
@orien
could careless about 2 years from now. he’s not worth the $16 mil he gets this year. But im not a Celtics fan so…..
As much as I respect and value Smart, I do wonder if he (and the Celtics) would benefit from a change of scenery. Instead of his focus being on carrying the team, it could be on proving himself somewhere new where he doesn’t have enough cache not to defer to the current leaders. The clashes with Tatum — even when Smart is the one who is right — lead me to believe it might just be too many cooks in the kitchen. Hard to lose guys like that (people still clamor for IT…), but something something making omlettes breaking eggs.
I hear about rumored clashes between Marcus Smart & Tatum, Marcus Smart & Brown. I read basketball analysts rumoring trades. I think it’s all bullish*t. I see all our players jumping up when some on court greatness by anyone happens. I think this team has good chemistry & a good coach.
I do remember Smart early on calling out the two Jays for not passing. They weren’t. Now they are. I think Smart is the leader of this team & we should stay pat! Go Celts!
They’re not all rumored — there have been verified reports of yelling in locker room etc.
Smart is currently heart and soul of the team, but Tatum is (meant to be) the leader. That is a fundamental disconnect, unless Smart is willing to be more of a mascot (he’s not.)
Winning a few games in a row is nice, but it’s easy to look good when to this point Celtics have looked bad. I’m not convinced the underlying issues are fixed. We’ll see.
Yelling in the locker room? So what? Is that a reason to blow up a whole team & and careers? Some people yell. I don’t believe so, that’s just immaturity speaking. And Smart is the leader of this team, not Tatum. Expecting Tatum to lead at 23 years old is a bad move. You see how he still complains after each foul. We’ll just see what President Brad Stevens does.
The fact that you think Smart is the leader only strengthens my argument. So thanks for that.
I like Beasley as a change of scenery guy but not for Smart, for the Celtics. Smart is the only thing close to a real PG on the team and we saw how dysfunctional the offense looked without him playing that role. Beasley is not that. He does fill a shooting need but would be a net negative. Not the right move for Boston, hope they pass on the offer.
Hope the Celtics stand pat! Keep our top 8! Including Dennis. To get under the cap I guess we have to do something though as cheapskate owners demand. Give up a youngster?
Marcus Smart? He’s fine as our point guard! He’s now a double digit scorer, can drive, make clutch 3-point shoots & is locked up! Not overshooting, not overpaid & he makes winning plays in the 4th.
I trust Brad Stevens big time. He locked up Smart, TimeLord, Josh & maybe others w decent longer term contracts in off season. Intelligent, smart, not some dictatorial, huge ego a-hole. He knows his basketball!
Go Celtics!
I think Beverly McDaniels Beasley, and a second rounder or 2 for Smart and Richardson could work for both sides
Lets see if Brad Stevens can play his bluff well. My guess is that his giggle when Minny offered a 1st rder gave it away.
Wolves say no
Richardson has little value
The Timberpuppies have not been run with any degree of intelligence since they originated in 1989.
The rumored interest in the Celtics guard
must be the Timberpuppies (and Glen Taylor’s)
last gasp attempt to FINALLY:
GET SMART !!
SMART would have more value if he didn’t have to continually stop play while on the court to answer his SHOE PHONE !!