Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens spoke to members of the media at the team’s practice facility late Thursday night following a busy NBA draft that saw the team connect on a number of minor deals. Boston’s trade the day prior took priority, however.
The previous evening, the Celtics agreed to send Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a massive three-team deal that will land former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis in Boston next season. As such, the Celtics are swapping the club’s longest-tenured player and emotional leader for a dynamic but risky talent upgrade. Stevens spoke at length about what Smart represented to the Celtics on and off the court. He also outlined his enthusiasm for Porzingis’ arrival.
“I said this at the start of the summer,” Stevens said. “I thought that we needed to balance our roster and make sure that we looked at the best ways to do that. And that meant that we were going to likely lose a really, really, really good player.”
What are NBA analysts saying about the deal from their points of view? Let’s take a look at the gamut. https://t.co/J5GQJYBQXX
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
Boston has had eyes for Porzingis for years, despite some notable baggage on and off the court. When healthy and dialed in, Porzingis is one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NBA and a beast on defense. That the team was willing to part ways with such an important leader underscores the club’s belief in Porzingis, but it doesn’t lessen Smart’s impact in his nine seasons with the Celtics.
“The greatest legacy that you can leave,” Stevens said of Smart. “Is to leave someplace, and it’s better off because you were there. And I think that everybody here feels that way.”
“I think that he will always be appreciated and thought of so fondly here for any number of reasons. Obviously, everybody loved the way that he plays and how hard he plays, but also his work in the community. You know, we’re all really grateful to have Marcus in our life for as long as we’ve had.”
These are the 10 Celtics who played the most seasons with Boston. https://t.co/6Xh3hOr8Am
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
Stevens expressed his excitement for what adding Porzingis represents. He spoke about how he’ll improve the team’s defense at the rim, and how Porzingis will facilitate new offensive looks and opportunities for the Celtics. In the locker room, Stevens said he doesn’t yet know Porzingis well enough as an individual to address the loss of Marcus Smart’s leadership, but that Boston is equipped to move on in many ways.
“I think that one of the strengths of our group is the number of quality people we have the number of quality voices we have,” Stevens said.
Stevens explained Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford have all been important leaders for the Celtics. But he offered Smart’s absence will take time to adjust to.
“We have a number of people here that have been filling that void for a long time with Marcus. And now we’ll just have to just be a little bit better.”
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
