NBA Exec: Marcus Smart Will Be Traded by Celtics in Offseason 'If I Had to Guess'

The Boston Celtics are in the midst of a massive upheaval of their coaching staff and front office, with Danny Ainge resigning and Brad Stevens moving into a front office role and leaving his post as head coach.

However, a plan may already be in place for Stevens' first move running basketball operations. 

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spoke to a source who believes the team will move on from Marcus Smart this offseason. 

“I think they’ll trade Smart this summer if I had to guess,” an executive told Scotto. “Retool around Tatum and Brown if they can get real value for Smart, but a lot up in the air there.”

Smart will be heading into the final year of his contract in 2021-22, so moving on might mean the Celtics would prefer to not pay Smart beyond next season.

While Smart has shown improvements as a ball distributor and shooter, the vast majority of his value comes on the defensive end. Given that he turns 28 in March, Smart will probably still be a very good defender for the life of his next contract. However, he's also a career 37.6 percent shooter from the field; even his improvements have only gotten him to below average.

If the Celtics can find a team willing to give up something of real value for Smart, such as a player who better fits around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown long term, it's something they should explore.

No one knows quite what to expect in the immediate future for the Celtics. Stevens has never been an executive at any level of basketball. It's impossible to tell what type of organizational philosophy he will adopt once he gets acclimated to the role.

That said, there is no one person who has a better understanding of locker room dynamics on this Celtics team than Stevens. If he feels it's best to move on from Smart, it may prove to be the right call.