(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night, the Boston Celtics made a move that no one saw coming in order to finalize the blockbuster trade to acquire star forward Kristaps Porzingis.
Instead of sending Malcolm Brogdon to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-way deal, the Celtics traded longtime point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in order to get the trade to come to fruition.
This move took a lot of people by surprise, even Smart, who didn’t realize he was on the trading block in Boston.
With Smart playing all nine of his NBA seasons with the Celtics, getting traded by the storied franchise was an emotional moment for him and the fans that have rooted for him over the past decade.
On Friday, Smart bid farewell to the Celtics and the fans of the franchise in a touching tweet from his Twitter account.
Goodbyes are hard.
But the future is exciting. pic.twitter.com/hULgrVXkmi
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) June 23, 2023
Although Smart was vital to what the Celtics would do on the defensive end of the floor and will be missed in Boston, he’ll be a welcome addition to the Grizzlies, who pride themselves on defense and are a team on the rise in the Western Conference.
Smart will help shoulder the load in the backcourt for the Grizzlies, with the team having to start the 2023-24 NBA season without Ja Morant, who will be serving a 25-game suspension for his actions off the floor to start the offseason.
The veteran guard will likely win fans over quickly in Memphis, as he plays with incredible effort and leaves it all out on the floor every night for his team.
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