Boston Celtics Reportedly Willing to Trade Marcus Smart
The Boston Celtics may be willing to move one of their key core players ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are reportedly open to trading Marcus Smart in exchange for a first-round draft pick.
"If a team was willing to give Boston a first, Boston would look at," Wojnarowski said in a recent episode of "The Woj Pod," via CBS Sports.
"He defends, he's super competitive. But they can't pay everybody in Boston and they're going to have to make decisions. But does a team want to give up a first for a player when they don't know what it will cost to keep him? I'm not sure that will happen. But I think certainly if they were going to make a move with one of their core guys, there's potential that it's going to be Smart," he added.
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As fans would know, trading Smart would be tough for the Celtics, and it is risky as well. Smart is not very good at shooting the ball, but his ability to defend multiple positions will come in handy as they make a push for a deep run into the playoffs.
Still, the Celtics have to keep their options open because Smart is set to become a restricted free agent in the offseason after they failed to reach an extension agreement in October.
The Celtics would love to keep Smart, and they have the right to match any offer he receives in free agency. However, they would likely have to back away if he receives a hefty offer sheet from another team this summer.
Smart is averaging 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in under 31 minutes per game this season, and he's shooting 35.7 percent from the field, 29.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.6 percent from the free-throw line.
