Brad Stevens hasn't wasted much time to wheel and deal some moves since taking over for Danny Ainge in the Boston Celtics front office. With free agency arriving, don't expect the moves to stop now.
The Celtics have a need at point guard after trading Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They still have Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard, but Boston doesn't seem to keen on the idea of going into the regular season with those two being the top options at the one spot.
According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Celtics could be sending Marcus Smart elsewhere.
Unsurprisingly, Boston’s brass isn’t too comfortable opening the season with a point guard depth chart topped by Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard…Boston’s acquisition of Josh Richardson could spell the end of Marcus Smart’s run in Boston. Smart has become a fan favorite over seven years in Boston, but Brad Stevens has been frustrated by Smart’s unpredictable play in recent years, per sources. Smart, one of the NBA’s better perimeter defenders, is entering the final year of his contract. Boston could extend Smart, but two people familiar with Stevens thinking tell SI it’s more likely Stevens will look to trade Smart before the start of the season.
There would be no shortage of suitors for the Celtics if they opt to move on from Smart. He's developed a perimeter shot that's gotten more and more consistent throughout the years and he's a great perimeter defender.
The question for the Celtics would become who they target in free agency or via a trade if they do opt to send Smart elsewhere, knowing that they've already traded Walker.
It should be a super busy offseason for the Celtics that starts with evaluating their own roster.
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