Marcus Smart Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Notes: Deadline Moves, Bane, Smart, Clarke, Jackson

February 9th, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Victor Oladipo and Chimezie Metu have already been waived, but the two other players acquired by the Grizzlies in their recent series of trades – Lamar Stevens and Yuta Watanabe – are expected to get an opportunity to play over the next couple months, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Stevens is on an expiring deal, while Watanabe holds a minimum-salary player option for 2024/25.

The Grizzlies also hope to get a longer look down the stretch at Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia, two former first-round picks who are currently sidelined due to injuries. As Cole writes, head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman showed by trading David Roddy on Thursday that he’s willing to move on from recent first-rounders who haven’t established themselves as consistent, productive rotation contributors, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to give up on players like Williams or LaRavia.

“We’re in a spot where we have a lot of young players,” Kleiman said. “Nothing has been ruled out. Let me say that. I think that everyone at the very least has shown that in stretches, there’s a lot to be encouraged by. What we’re focused on right now is giving those guys opportunity. Wouldn’t surprise me if some guys emerge and maybe surprise people.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Having traded away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman, the Grizzlies’ plans at center going forward are unclear. Their 2024 first-round pick, which projects to be a top-10 selection, may factor into that equation, Cole notes, since it could serve as a valuable trade asset or an opportunity to add a young blue-chipper to the roster. “Wherever that pick might be, we want to be in a position where we’re able to kind of navigate and steer that in different directions,” Kleiman said.
The Grizzlies project to be a luxury tax team next season based on their current commitments. Kleiman told reporters, including Cole, that’s not something the club is actively working to avoid. “There’s not a budget that we have to operate from,” Kleiman said. “There’s not a place that we need to be relative to any marker or luxury tax. . . . Those are all things we’ll have to weigh from a team-building standpoint.”
There’s still no timeline for the returns of Desmond Bane (left ankle), Marcus Smart (right ring finger), or Brandon Clarke (left Achilles), according to Kleiman. He indicate that Bane and Smart are expected to be out at least through the All-Star break and expressed optimism Clarke can return this season. “Brandon’s doing really well in his recovery,” Kleiman said, per Cole. “We’ll make a determination when we get a little bit closer. . . . Regardless of record, a little cameo at the end of the season just to build momentum going into next season, I think that’s something that’s potentially still on the table.”
As Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, the Grizzlies players who remained on the roster through Thursday’s trade deadline were sorry to see Tillman and Roddy go. “I’m obviously upset and gutted and I feel bad,” said Jaren Jackson Jr., who played with Tillman at Michigan State before spending the past four seasons with him in Memphis. “It’s just part of the business. I’ve been here a long time. But it doesn’t get easier, for sure.”
GG Jackson‘s new four-year deal with the Grizzlies will be worth $8.5MM over four seasons, with $6.1MM in guaranteed money, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. A minimum-salary deal would be worth in the range of $7MM, so it sounds like Jackson will receive significantly more than the prorated rookie minimum for the rest of the 2023/24 season.

Celtics Notes: Trade Market, Tillman, Pritchard, Smart

February 7th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After agreeing to acquire Xavier Tillman from Memphis in exchange for Lamar Stevens and a pair of second-round picks, the Celtics are likely to make another move before Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

Although the Celtics aren’t exactly loaded with trade assets, they remain well positioned to make another smaller move. Boston still controls six future second-round picks, and sending Stevens to the Grizzlies meant the club didn’t have to touch its $6.2MM trade exception in the Tillman deal. The C’s also still have an open spot on their 15-man roster.

As Robb writes, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has been open about his desire to add more wing depth, and the fact that the team was willing to give up Stevens may signal that an addition at that spot is coming.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Souichi Terada of MassLive.com takes a look at the Celtics’ roster and depth chart after the Tillman trade and considers what might be next for the club.
Before news of the Tillman deal broke, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston previewed the trade deadline for the Celtics. While he acknowledged that a smaller move or two is most likely, Forsberg made the case that the front office should seriously explore the possibility of taking a bigger swing, given that Boston could have an opportunity to solidify its place as a title favorite. Forsberg named Alex Caruso and Deni Avdija as two players worth looking into.
After not being dealt at the 2023 trade deadline, Payton Pritchard admitted to being disappointed, since he didn’t have the kind of role he wanted in Boston. One year later, he’s averaging a career-high 20.8 minutes per night as a crucial part of the Celtics’ rotation after signing an extension in October. “It’s funny the difference a year will make,” Pritchard said this week, per Jay King of The Athletic. “At the end of the day, it was always the same thing. I wanted to be able to play and be able to play every game. And sweat out there. And really feel like I’m contributing. Fortunately enough, on this team, this year, I feel like I have a role to help the team win.”
Former Celtics guard Marcus Smart wasn’t available to play on Sunday when the Grizzlies visited Boston, but he got a tribute video and was showered with loving chants by the fans at TD Garden, as King writes at The Athletic. “I’m surprised he didn’t cry, because that was special,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “He was the fan favorite and everybody knew that. The way he played, he wore his heart on his sleeve and every night, he gave it his all. We have some very smart fans, right, and they saw that and they appreciated that. So, it was just really cool to see. I’m happy for him.”

Fischer’s Latest: Carter, Brogdon, Smart, Hawks, Jones, Hornets

February 2nd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

While there will likely be plenty of trades completed between now and next Thursday’s deadline, many of the players whom rival teams had hoped would hit the market aren’t expected to be available this season, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer details, that list of players who are believed to be off-limits includes several current and former All-Stars, such as Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It also features talented forwards Mikal Bridges and Jerami Grant, as well as rising talent Jonathan Kuminga.

Fischer isn’t the first to report that those players likely won’t be on the move at the deadline, so no names in that group come as real surprises. However, Fischer adds a few more players to the list of unlikely trade candidates, writing that Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is no longer considered available and citing league personnel who are skeptical that the Trail Blazers will part with Malcolm Brogdon.

Additionally, while a handful of clubs – including the Bucks and Lakers – have called the Grizzlies to inquire about Marcus Smart, according to Fischer, Memphis has shown no interest in moving the veteran guard, who remains in the team’s plans beyond this season.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from Fischer:

The Hawks are viewed by rival executives as the most “active and aggressive” team in the trade market, with Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, and AJ Griffin among the players who could be moved. While previous reports have indicated that Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are Atlanta’s only two untouchable players, Fischer says the club values Bogdan Bogdanovic as highly as any player on its roster outside of Young and Johnson.
Even though the Wizards are seeking a first-round pick for Tyus Jones, rival executives are confident that Washington will ultimately accept a package consisting of multiple second-rounders for the veteran point guard, per Fischer. Jones is on an expiring contract and wouldn’t be a starter on many teams, so a first-rounder would be a high price to pay.
Hornets forward P.J. Washington and center Nick Richards are generating a good deal of interest from potential trade partners, league sources tell Fischer. Kyle Lowry, Gordon Hayward, and Miles Bridges are among Charlotte’s other trade candidates.
We also passed along several of Fischer’s trade rumors related to Western Conference teams in a separate article.

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Porzingis, Celtics, Embiid

February 1st, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Returning to Brooklyn Wednesday for the first time since being traded last February, Suns forward Kevin Durant didn’t feel like speculating on how his time with the Nets might have turned out differently, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Although he talked briefly about his raucous tenure with the team, Durant preferred to look forward rather than backward.

“I mean, that’s just a pointless exercise, in my opinion, to think about what could have been,” Durant said. “What happened. That’s what I thought about: what actually happened. The reality of it. We didn’t have enough time together. That’s just it. Guys wanted to go their separate ways. We tried our hardest to, you know, salvage everything and everything together. We had three or four different teams [from] when I signed here until when I left. But at the end of the day, I enjoyed coming to work, playing for, being a part of this community and playing, representing Brooklyn; regardless of what went on, what was said or how I felt, I still came to work.”

Durant was expected to make the Nets one of the NBA’s elite franchises when he and Kyrie Irving signed as free agents in 2019. He continued to play at an All-Star level after recovering from a torn Achilles, but injuries and off-court issues prevented the team from reaching its potential, even after James Harden was added in a 2021 trade. Bontemps notes that although Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are in their first season as teammates, they’ve already played more games together than Durant, Irving and Harden did.

“If you want to talk about me individually, you can just look at the work that I put in here,” Durant added. “I think I’ve grown as a player. I’m on my way to mastering the game. I think coming here helped me, pushed me far closer to that. So that’s what I try to take from my time here.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The offseason trade for Kristaps Porzingis has raised the Celtics to a new level, observes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Porzingis, who was training in Spain when the trade was announced, said he understood how much he meant to the Celtics when he learned they were willing to include Marcus Smart in the deal. “I didn’t know it was going to be [Smart] in the trade, but seeing what they were going to give up for me, I realized that ‘OK, they really wanted me,'” he said. “That means that they expect a lot from me, also. So I have to show up.”
The Celtics are expected to seek another bench piece before the trade deadline, but the improved performance of the team’s reserves may lessen the urgency for such a move, observes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.
Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (subscription required) examines Joel Embiid‘s historic accomplishments this season and the “absurd” reaction to the Sixers‘ decision to hold him out of Saturday’s game at Denver.

Marcus Smart Out At Least Six Weeks With Finger Injury

January 11th, 2024 at 11:22am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran guard Marcus Smart has suffered a “severe” injury to his right ring finger and is out at least six weeks for the Grizzlies, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Memphis confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link), saying that Smart sustained a “rupture of the proximal interphalangeal joint central slip” in Tuesday’s game vs. Dallas. He’ll be reevaluated in six weeks, per the team.

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year has only made 20 appearances in ’23/24, which is his first season with the Grizzlies after being acquired in an offseason trade. He missed 17 games with a left foot sprain.

Statistically, Smart is all over the map this season. He’s averaging career highs in points (14.5) and steals per game (2.1), but rebounding at a career-worst rate (2.7), averaging his fewest assists in eight seasons (4.3), and turning the ball over more than ever before (3.1) in a higher-usage role with Ja Morant missing most of the season due to suspension.

Morant will miss the remainder of ’23/24 after undergoing shoulder surgery, and now Smart will be sidelined through at least mid-February. Obviously, Smart’s injury is yet another unfortunate turn of events for a team that has been decimated by injuries to key players.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Grizzlies can apply for a hardship exception with Morant, Smart, Steven Adams (knee surgery) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles recovery) out with long-term injuries. The exception would be granted after Monday’s game and would create an extra roster spot; it’s worth noting that Memphis signed former Minnesota guard Jaylen Nowell to a pair of 10-day hardship deals earlier this season (Shaquille Harrison also received one 10-day contract).

Recently-promoted wing Vince Williams is a candidate to take on more defensive assignments with Smart injured, while other young players like David Roddy, Ziaire Williams and Jacob Gilyard could receive more minutes.

Grizzlies Notes: Morant, Jackson, Smart, Kennard

January 10th, 2024 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

After being diagnosed with a torn labrum that will require season-ending surgery, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant told his teammates in an “emotional” meeting on Tuesday to “stay locked in and keep grinding,” Desmond Bane tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

The Grizzlies, who were also missing reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. due to a right knee contusion, responded on Tuesday with an impressive 120-103 victory in Dallas, their third straight road win over a Western Conference rival. Head coach Taylor Jenkins called it “one of the most impressive team wins of the season,” per MacMahon.

“We have nothing to lose,” guard Marcus Smart said. “Especially without Ja, everybody’s counting us out. Everybody’s expecting us to just lay down and quit, and that’s not what this team is about and not in our heart.

“… We’re going to fight. That’s all we can do. That’s what we know. We’re going to fight until we can’t fight no more. And that’s all you can ask — for you fight to the end, because we understood that coming into the season the odds against us and things have affected our team. We understood that this might not be a year where everything is expected of us, but it’s a year for us to damn well get right for next year as well.”

As his Grizzlies teammates look to continue battling for a play-in spot without him, Morant is in the process of deciding – along with the Grizzlies’ staff – which surgeon will perform his shoulder surgery, according to MacMahon.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Smart exited Tuesday’s win in the third quarter due to a dislocated right ring finger. The finger isn’t broken, but Smart will undergo an MRI when the team returns to Memphis, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.
Speaking to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, orthopedic surgeon Brian Schulz explains how a labral tear occurs and what Morant’s recovery process will look like. According to Schulz, while Morant will be able to begin physical therapy almost immediately following his surgery, a typical return-to-play timeline for this sort of injury is approximately six months, which is why the club has already ruled him out for the season.
ESPN’s experts take a look at how Morant’s injury will impact the team, with Kevin Pelton pointing out that drafting in the 2024 lottery could put Memphis in position to add another young player to its long-term core at a relatively team-friendly price. Bobby Marks, meanwhile, notes that next year’s roster projects to be in the tax if Luke Kennard‘s team option is exercised, which could impact the Grizzlies’ trade deadline plans with Kennard and/or others on the roster.
Mark Deeks of HoopsHype explores what the Grizzlies could do with the disabled player exception they’re likely to be granted as a result of Morant’s injury, and explains why that exception is more likely to simply expire without being used.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Luka, Cuban, Rockets, Lopez, Murphy, Smart

January 6th, 2024 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are starting to get a better idea of what their optimal lineup might look like, but they haven’t gotten a chance to take a longer look at it due to ongoing injury issues, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic.

As Cato details, the Mavericks like the idea of leaning more on lineups that feature Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, and Dereck Lively. So far this season, Dallas has an eye-popping offensive rating of 145.5 to go along with a defensive rating of 97.0 when that quartet is on the court. However, the sample size is relatively tiny — the four players have shared the floor for just 31 total minutes across four games.

All four players have dealt with moderate or minor injuries at some point this season, which has limiteed the Mavs’ ability to play them more together. Irving has been active for the past three games after missing 12 consecutive contests due to a heel contusion, but Doncic (right ankle swelling), Exum (right heel contusion), and Lively (left ankle sprain) were all unavailable for Friday’s win over Portland.

The Mavs are hopeful that Doncic’s ankle ailment is just a day-to-day issue, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. In the team’s initial injury report for Sunday’s matchup with Minnesota, Doncic is listed as questionable, but Lively is doubtful and Exum has already been ruled out.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Longtime Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who recently sold his majority stake in the franchise, informed team employees this week that he’ll paying them bonuses that total approximately $35MM, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays (via Twitter).
Confirming offseason reports, Bucks center Brook Lopez said on Saturday that he seriously considered the possibility of signing with the Rockets as a free agent this past summer, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “It was pretty close,” Lopez said. “There was a lot of mutual interest. Watching this season, they’ve obviously done some great things. I love what (head coach) Ime (Udoka) has been doing. Obviously, the group of guys they have here have done great stuff.”
After returning on Friday from a three-game absence due to left knee tendonitis, Pelicans sharpshooter Trey Murphy said his knee feels OK. However, he’ll be on a restriction of 20-to-25 minutes per game for now as the team manages some inflammation he has recently experienced in that knee, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Murphy made just 1-of-9 shots in 17 minutes off the bench on Friday.
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart spoke about his reaction to being traded last summer and how he’s adjusted to his new NBA home, as well as what it’s been like mentoring Ja Morant and his young teammates in Memphis.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby Trade, Murray, Barrett, Quickley

December 31st, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will remain active on the trade market after acquiring OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from Toronto on Saturday, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Having previously named Dejounte Murray as a possible Knicks trade target, Scotto reports that New York is still interested in Murray following this weekend’s deal. However, the team would no longer be able to offer Immanuel Quickley, who might have been a key piece of any outgoing package for the Hawks guard.

Scotto also spoke to multiple NBA executives to get their thoughts on the Anunoby trade for the Knicks. One of those execs questioned whether it might have been overpay, but acknowledged that the team remains well positioned to make another big move and said that justified the decision to part with two talented scorers in Quickley and RJ Barrett. A second exec is curious to see what New York’s front office has up its sleeve for its next move.

“There’s not a lot of shot creation for other players on the roster now, and there’s a lot of pressure on (Jalen) Brunson,” the exec told Scotto. “I get why New York made the trade. The team was playing selfishly. Anunoby is a better fit with what they have than Barrett.”

Here’s more on the Knicks and their latest trade:

The Knicks players who weren’t involved in Saturday’s deal had mixed feelings about the move, as Peter Botte of The New York Post details. “This probably for me is one of the toughest ones just because of the relationship I built with those two,” Julius Randle said, referring to Barrett and Quickley as “little brothers” and suggesting he’ll continue to root for them. Taj Gibson expressed excitement for the addition of Anunoby but said that it “kind of sucked” to say goodbye to the two departing Knicks: “I’ve been around them since they came into the league. Great young men. It’s just tough, one of the tough parts about the business. Being able to see them this morning and talk, it was tough.
Zach Kram of The Ringer, John Hollinger of The Athletic, and Keith Smith of Spotrac took a closer look at the five-player trade from both the Knicks’ and Raptors‘ perspectives, breaking down why it could be a win-win move for the two Atlantic rivals. Smith also explores each team’s financial situation and considers how new deals in 2024 for Anunoby and Quickley will affect their cap outlooks going forward.
Frustration about roles and playing time had been mounting in the Knicks’ locker room, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, which is one key reason why the front office was motivated to make a consolidation trade sooner rather than later. Within Katz’s story, which examines the trade in greater detail, he cites league sources who say the Knicks and Celtics briefly discussed a deal centered around Quickley and Marcus Smart in the offseason before Smart was sent to Memphis. In other words, the team has been mulling swapping Quickley for an elite defender for a while.

Southwest Notes: K. Johnson, Smart, Mavs, J. Green

December 29th, 2023 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

A longtime starter for the Spurs, Keldon Johnson has come off the bench in each of the past three games, and head coach Gregg Popovich expects that to continue for the foreseeable future, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).

As McDonald explains, the thinking is that Johnson can breathe some life into a second unit that hasn’t been as effective as hoped this season. The move will also give starters Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama an opportunity to establish more chemistry as they continue working on their two-man game.

Although he had started 230 of his previous 233 games prior to last Saturday, Johnson has no problem with the role change, indicating that he doesn’t need to be sold on it if Popovich believes it’s in the team’s best interest.

“If that’s what we need and that’s what we’re going to try, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Johnson said. “I don’t have an ego about it.”

Johnson’s performances in his first three games off the bench have been up and down, but he’s certainly not getting any fewer offensive opportunities in the new role. After averaging 13.5 field goal attempts in 33.0 minutes per game in his 26 starts, he has launched 15.7 attempts in 28.0 MPG this past week.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Upon returning this week from a left foot sprain that had sidelined him since November 14, Marcus Smart rejoined the Grizzlies‘ starting lineup and has made an immediate impact, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In Smart’s first two games back – a win over New Orleans and loss to Denver – the Grizzlies outscored their opponents by two points in his 52 minutes of action and were outscored by 38 in the 49 minutes he sat.
Explaining the decision to sign Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the team wanted to make sure it still had plenty of point guard depth with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both banged up (Twitter link via Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com). While Kidd indicated that Williams would have a chance to play on Thursday with the two star guards out, he was a DNP-CD, as Jaden Hardy (31 minutes) and Seth Curry (30 minutes) played increased roles.
After getting a vote of confidence from head coach Ime Udoka earlier in the week, slumping Rockets guard Jalen Green showed signs of progress on Wednesday, scoring 23 points in 26 minutes and making 6-of-12 three-pointers. “He was aggressive, hunting his shots … and getting downhill more aggressively and making the right reads,” Udoka said, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “With their big (Jusuf Nurkic) back, he got some easy ones early on and it snowballed from there. He got aggressive looking for the three. That’s what we want him to do on a nightly basis.”

Injury Notes: Lively, Little, C. Martin, Smart, Hawks

December 25th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past four games with a left ankle sprain, Mavericks center Dereck Lively will be available tonight against Phoenix, Dallas announced (via Twitter). Marc Stein was the first to report that Lively was on track to return (Substack link).

The 12th pick of the 2023 draft, the 7’1″ Lively has made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 8.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 1.6 BPG while shooting 73.4% from the field in 23 games (25.3 MPG). The Mavs have gone just 1-5 without him this season, including 1-3 over the past four contests.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns wing Nassir Little has been upgraded from out to questionable for the matchup with Dallas, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Little, who is averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 16.2 MPG over 21 appearances, is dealing with left knee soreness.
Heat wing Caleb Martin sprained his right ankle and was ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s game against Philadelphia, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Miami was already shorthanded, with Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson all out for the Christmas Day contest.
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Tuesday’s contest in New Orleans, Memphis announced (via Twitter). Smart has been out since November 14 with a left foot sprain.
Rising Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game against Chicago, but he’s ready to return, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Star point guard Trae Young is also questionable with a right shoulder AC sprain, as Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter).