NBA Rumors: Pre-2018 Deadline Trade Buzz on Marcus Smart and More
The rumor mill is buzzing heading into the 2018 NBA trade deadline, and one of the league's most active teams is unsurprisingly right in the mix on separate fronts.
General manager Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics have made several high-profile trades recently with the No. 1 overall pick this draft and the acquisition of Kyrie Irving. It now seems the team could swing another big deal or two before the Feb. 8 deadline, and high-energy guard Marcus Smart may be involved.
While Smart could be hearing his name often, he may not be the only player affected by the reported aggressiveness of the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.
What is Smart's Value?
Smart seemed like a great fit in the Boston rotation as a physical, scrappy guard who could help lock down the opposition's top perimeter player. Yet, his status in the organization may be in question.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Celtics are exploring the idea of using Smart to swing a potentially bigger deal:
It would make sense for the Celtics to not want to split some young assets like Jaylen Brown or Terry Rozier, so trying to gain some other form of capital is necessary to bring in a top deadline target.
It is only natural that the Celtics are trying to build a team to take down the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors. All of these teams like to space out the floor for open outside shots, and they all can score at a high volume when properly kicking. Thus, it appears Boston is willing to sacrifice defense for more offense.
Smart kicks in 10.1 points per game, but he does so despite taking 9.7 shots per game with a sour 35.7 field-goal percentage. The Celtics are second in the NBA at 98.4 points allowed per game, which takes away from the team's need to retain defense.
Adding a guy like Tyreke Evans or Lou Williams would provide an upgrade in scoring over Smart, and it would solidify Boston's depth at guard along with Brown, Irving and Rozier. Whether Smart is worth a first-round pick is debatable, however.
Plenty of Teams Interested in Evans
If the Celtics don't figure out a way to bring in Evans, it appears someone else will.
Boston is among four other teams pushing for the 28-year-old guard, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
Judging by Evans' play this season for a flailing Memphis Grizzlies squad, it is no wonder it will probably take at least a first-round pick to land him.
After playing in just 65 games and starting 31 over the previous two seasons, Evans has started all 46 contests he has played in this year and is flourishing. Averaging 19.5 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, he appears primed to finish with his best season since winning NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2009-10 campaign.
The Celtics would be an obvious fit for Evans as a physical scoring guard that can offset the finesse slashing ability of Irving. Evans, who stands at 6'6", can also guard against bigger lineups while continuing to allow Boston to play small. Yet, the team does not have much outside of its unmovable young talent to offer.
The Philadelphia 76ers would also utilize Evans since the team could use another ball-handler to help out Ben Simmons. As of now, Jerryd Bayless is Philadelphia's backup point guard, and Markelle Fultz's health is a major issue for the rest of the season.
It could also be tough for the 76ers to pull this deal off, since Stein also reported they too are reluctant to move a first-round pick for Evans.
The smart thing to do for all of the reported interested teams is to wait out Memphis for as long as possible. The Grizzlies are not going anywhere this season with an 18-34 record, and Evans is playing on a one-year deal. Memphis needs to get something for Evans, and it may end up settling for less than a first-round pick if his market dries up. Expect this situation to drag on until the 11th hour on Thursday.
Wizards Shopping Gortat
The Marcin Gortat situation in Washington is starting to get a little messy, and it appears the Wizards are ready to move on.
The big man took an apparent veiled jab at injured star John Wall following what Gortat called a "team" win on Feb. 1, which prompted the following response from Wall on ESPN, via NBC Sports:
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported Washington is talking with other clubs about trading Gortat.
At 33 years old, Gortat still has one year left at roughly $13.5 million, but his production this season has dipped a bit. Averaging 8.9 points and 7.9 boards a night, Gortat is on pace for his worst statistical season since 2010-11. His 26.3 minutes per game are also his lowest since that time.
The Wizards sit at third in the Eastern Conference despite Wall's injury, but they still have largely the same roster as the franchise that has lost in the conference semifinals in three of the last four years. Washington still looks like a second-tier team in the conference.
This appears to be the case with Gortat in a minor role, so there is no reason to keep him on the team much longer given the drama.
Washington would be wise to just dump Gortat for a low return of a fringe prospect or a second-round pick. It would allow the team to shed some salary to possibly spend on an impact free agent this season, as the Wizards could be a desirable option with Wall, Bradley Beal, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Otto Porter Jr.
Statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.com.
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