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The Boston Celtics had one of the best defensive backcourt players in the game in Marcus Smart.
He was also a born leader and a strong presence in their locker room, not to mention a fan favorite.
Even so, it was time to pull the plug on him, so Brad Stevens made the tough decision to trade him to get Kristaps Porzingis.
Then, with the Milwaukee Bucks trading for Damian Lillard, the opportunity presented itself to replace Smart with another elite backcourt defender.
Stevens and the Celtics got their hands on Jrue Holiday, and he may have unleashed their true potential.
That’s why, upon watching him play elite defense in Game 3 and after some impressive performances this season, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid took to Twitter to wonder whether the Bucks gave the Celtics a championship.
Did the bucks give them the championship?
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 13, 2024
The ripple effect of the Damian Lillard trade will be a subject of discussion for years to come.
What if the Miami Heat had gotten him as most people expected?
The Bucks wouldn’t have traded Holiday, and the Celtics may not have been able to get to this stage.
NBA history is full of hypotheticals, what-ifs, and wishful thinking, not to mention conspiracy theories, so this debate won’t go away any time soon.
At the end of the day, the Bucks did what they thought was best for their organization.
Unbeknownst to them, they may have also made their own bed, all while giving one of their biggest rivals the missing piece they needed to get over the hump.
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