The announcement of Gordon Hayward that he is agreeing to join the Boston Celtics is definitely great news to their fans, as his addition will strengthen their chances of competing for a title. However, it also means a lot of wheeling and dealing for their front office executives to accommodate Hayward into the team's books.
Given the four year, $128 million deal to the former Utah Jazz forward, the C’s need to make room for his signing and may unload some pieces to make that happen. Among the candidates to be moved are Jae Crowder and Terry Rozier, but according to Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript, they have already placed Marcus Smart on the trading block and have contacted teams who may be interested in his services.
“A source says Boston has already started contacting teams about picking up Smart”
“The Celtics would be unloading Smart for cap-related reasons, and thus, wouldn't be interested in taking money back. He is set to make $4.5 million next year before becoming a restricted free agent in 2018.”
Smart has made a name for himself as an energy player for the Celtics and a hard-nosed defender, not afraid to take on some of the best guards in the league today. Although he still needs some improvement on the offensive end, particularly with his efficiency from the field, what makes him valuable is his tenacious defense and high basketball I.Q.
It’s expected that Smart will generate a lot of interest from teams around the league especially after coming off his best season in the NBA, with averages of 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. His potential departure will clear some cap space for the Celtics, but will also be appealing to other teams as they only need to risk $4.5 million next season on him.
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