And just like that, Marcus Smart is no longer with the Boston Celtics. Smart was traded by the Celtics to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a blockbuster three-team deal that also involved the Washington Wizards. The front office maneuver the Grizzlies just pulled off also got the prestigious Chandler Parsons Seal of Approval.
GREAT trade for the Grizzlies 👏🏻
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) June 22, 2023
To get Marcus Smart, the Grizzlies coughed up reliable backup point guard Tyus Jones and a 25th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday. The Celtics, meanwhile, got Kristaps Porzingis from the Wizards.
Jones was a steady presence for the Grizzlies as Ja Morant's backup, but Memphis clearly felt he and a late first-round pick in Thursday's draft are not all that much to give up in order to have an elite defender in the form of Marcus Smart. With Smart coming to town, the Grizzlies now have the last two NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners, as the former Oklahoma State Cowboys star joins a Memphis team that already has Jaren Jackson Jr. Moreover, Smart provides the Grizzlies a great option in the backcourt to begin the 2023-24 NBA season while the team waits for Ja Morant to finish serving his suspension.
Marcus Smart played nine seasons with the Celtics, who took him in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft. During his stay in Beantown, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He's not a knockdown shooter, but his ability to defend multiple positions and create havoc on that end of the floor is one that all teams would love to have in a player.
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