Longtime Celtics guard Marcus Smart had a conversation with team president Brad Stevens in mid-June and was assured at that time that he’d remain with the team this summer, Smart tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. A week later, he was gone, having been traded to the Grizzlies as part of a three-team package to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.
“It was a shock,” Smart said. “My agent called my fiancée and she woke me up out of a sleep, literally, right after the deal had been made and I think [the media] had already tweeted it out. That’s how we found out.”
The Celtics had originally intended to include another guard, Malcolm Brogdon, as part of a three-team deal with the Clippers that would have landed them Porzingis. However, those talks fell through, forcing Boston to pivot to the deal sending Smart to Memphis. Smart said he understands it’s a “business” and has no hard feelings toward the organization, even if he didn’t learn about his exit in the way he would’ve liked.
“Anybody who knows me knows that I’m the first one to tell people, you can’t put personal with business, it just doesn’t mix,” he said. “… But for me, it was just the [lack of] courtesy. They probably already knew they were thinking about trading me. They had this trade in their back pocket just in case something else didn’t happen.”
Smart enjoyed a solid run with the Celtics, even earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 en route to an NBA Finals appearance. His defense slipped somewhat in 2022/23, but he remain a valuable two-way leader on a club that wound up being just one win shy of a second consecutive Finals.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The two-year, $60MM extension Porzingis is finalizing with the Celtics could become as a massive monetary coup for Boston, argues Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. The reported deal, which will begin in 2024/25, is worth $17MM less than the maximum possible extension Porzingis could have signed off his current contract, and Forsberg believes a strong season would have put the big man in position to command even more money had he reached unrestricted free agency next summer. Porzingis enjoyed one of his healthiest seasons in years and was fairly effective with the Wizards on both sides of the hardwood in ’22/23.
- Two years after being drafted with the No. 50 pick out of Gonzaga by the Sixers, big man Filip Petrusev is confident he can produce at the NBA level, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Following his selection in the draft, the 6’11” center suited up for teams in Turkey and Belgrade. Petrusev, who will play on Philadelphia’s summer league club this month, is hoping to ink a deal with the Sixers for the 2023/24 season.
- Longtime Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet, who won a title with Toronto in 2019, is moving on to the Rockets on a lucrative new contract. He penned a heartfelt farewell missive to the team on his official Instagram. “I am forever indebted to the franchise that gave me a shot when no one else would,” VanVleet wrote. “We built things together that can never be broken and accomplished things that will stand forever… To the city, franchise and country that watched me grow… THANK YOU.”
VanVleet is the only free agent who signs max contract
Let’s talk about pride
Fred got a max, but it is structured like a football contract. The 3rd year is a Team Option. Houston will not pick up the 3rd year at over $43 million. Fred will play out this season in Houston. He then becomes a likely candidate to be moved at the deadline because it can become an expiring deal at the discretion of the team. Fred is gonna be paid fat for two guaranteed seasons though.
Houston had to spend the money. They didn’t want to break it up and sign a bunch of dudes because they want their young guys to play. Young guys will start signing extensions in two years.
Hey Marcus, business is always personal. Anyone that says business is not personal is fooling you successfully.
Definitely take it personal, but atleast you were traded to a contender.
Wonder if Boston knew that Joe Harris only coast 2s to move would they have kept Smart amd sent Brogdon to Detroit.
Celtics should pull a fast one and trade Brogdon or White with picks for Marcus Smart back. Then sign I Thomas
Were you drunk when you wrote this?
He thinks it’s 2K and he can force dumb trades bc he “added picks”
As a Celtic fan I am hurt at the trade of Smart but KP and two first was a no brainer. Brad did not have time to tell him he thought he had traded Brogdon.
Two firsts? Didn’t they trade one of them for second rdrs?
Smart seems more miffed that his girl woke him up.
Typical Celtics front office treating their black players like second rate citizens. After what they did to IT4, they should have been forced to sell the team.