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The Boston Celtics are not messing around. On the eve of NBA Draft night, they dealt away longtime point guard Marcus Smart, who's been with the team since 2014, for Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks. The trade signifies that the Celtics are going all-in on their current core, as a hefty luxury tax bill awaits them in the future should they keep Porzingis alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
At the moment, their current team certainly looks like it has enough talent to compete for a championship, although it's fair to wonder how losing Smart — the team's heart and soul who always gives it his all — would affect the team off the court. Whatever the case may be, it's hard to argue against, perhaps, making one more move to fortify the team's depth even further.
With the Celtics adding to their big man depth and their guard depth remaining resolute with the likes of Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon still manning the position, perhaps adding another playoff-viable 3 and D wing who plays above his size could be instrumental in making sure the Celtics remain matchup-proof in the playoffs.
After all, Jordan Walsh, the prospect the Celtics kept in the fallout of all the draft day trades they made, may not be ready to contribute from the get-go. Meanwhile, the loss of Marcus Smart gives the Celtics one less player who could slide up to the three in small-ball lineups.
With that in mind, here is the next big trade the Celtics must pull off following the blockbuster deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Beantown.
Celtics trade away Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser, 2024 GSW first-round pick, and 2024 BOS first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso
Losing Marcus Smart meant more to the team than losing one of the Celtics fanbase's favorite players. Smart was always ready to take on the opponent's best offensive player on the perimeter, making their lives difficult using his quick feet and incredible hands. There's a reason why he won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, acting as one of the strongest lumbar columns that made up the spine of the Celtics' stifling defense.
Derrick White, to some extent, could replicate those efforts. But part of what had made the Celtics' defense so tough to crack was the synergy between White and Smart. Adding Kristaps Porzingis would help their backline defense immensely, but having multiple players who can get around screens and make pull-up shots difficult is a prerequisite to any team hoping to master the drop coverage.
Thus, adding Alex Caruso would be a godsend for the Celtics.
It's not too often that a player's defense is comparable to that of Marcus Smart's, but Caruso is one of those rare players who can say that he confidently belongs in the same defensive sentence as the former Celtics guard. It seems like he is always right where has to be — his IQ and defensive feel allow him to excel as a help defender as well.
But Caruso's bread and butter is his on-ball defense; he slides his feet almost in unison with the movements of that of the offensive player's, and his long wingspan helps him bother both passing lanes and strip ballhandlers when they try to pull off crossovers and other moves. Should the 29-year old land in Boston, it'll be funny as well to see fans of the Los Angeles Lakers witness one of their favorites suit up for their most bitter rival.
Given Alex Caruso's affordable contract that runs until the end of the 2024-25 season, it's only fair for the Bulls to ask for two first-rounders in exchange for his services. (During the 2023 trade deadline, the Bulls did not budge on their asking price.)
And the Celtics should be more than willing to pay that price, especially when the Kristaps Porzingis trade netted them an additional first-rounder (the Golden State Warriors' 2024 first-round pick). Moreover, with the Celtics a near certainty to be among one of the best teams in the NBA next season, giving up their 2024 first-round pick that should end up being in the late-20s shouldn't be too difficult a pill to swallow.
Of course, it's fair to wonder whether the Bulls may end up holding out for more valuable picks than the ones the Celtics could give up. Alas, given Caruso's skillset, contending teams will be the ones pursuing his services anyway, so it's not like the Bulls could target much more appealing picks than the ones the Celtics could relinquish.
