Celtics Trade Marcus Smart To Memphis, Get Kristaps Porzingis From Wizards

(CTN News) – Earlier today, Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that the Boston Celtics traded guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies as a part of the three-team deal that will bring Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics.

In addition to Gallinari, Wojnarowski added that Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari will also be headed to Washington as part of the deal.

In a report published earlier on Wednesday night, Wojnarowski reported that a three-team trade involving the Clippers had fallen apart due to concerns from Los Angeles regarding Brogdon’s medical condition.

According to Wojnarowski, the Wizards are sending first-round picks for the years 2023 and 2024 to Boston as part of the deal, allowing the Celtics to draft 10 spots earlier in Thursday night’s draft as a result of the deal.

According to Wojnarowski, the Celtics will trade the 35th pick of Thursday’s draft to Washington as part of the deal.

In the 2014 draft, Smart was drafted by the Celtics as the sixth overall pick. There are 581 regular-season games in which he played for Boston, and there are 108 post-season games in which he played for Boston.

In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, earning him the title of Defensive Player of the Year. Since Gary Payton was honored with this honor in 1996, he is the first guard to receive the honor since then.

Since he has been a member of the Celtics for the longest time, he has become a key component of the team’s identity over the course of several years.

The decision to part ways with Smart, who joined the Celtics during Brad Stevens’ second season as head coach, was no doubt one that Stevens — now serving as the president of basketball operations for the Celtics — did not take lightly.

Porzingis, 27, was a member of the All-Star team for the Knicks in 2018 and averaged 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Wizards last season.

As a result of injuries in recent years, Porzingis has missed quite a bit of time, averaging 54 games per season over the last four seasons.

Porzingis missed the 2018-19 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which forced him to miss the whole season.

Since Smart has left, Derrick White will be able to take on a starting role, and the Celtics retained Malcolm Brogdon — who was supposed to be heading to the Clippers in a three-team trade that fell through — which means the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year will continue to serve as a bench player.

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