Marcus Smart was ‘shocked’ by Boston trading him
“Marcus loves Boston. He thought he was going to retire there. He wanted to retire there.”
Smart, who is the longest-tenured Celtic and the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, was hurt that out of all of the guards on Boston’s roster, he was the one chosen to be dealt.
Porzingis’ looming $36 million player option that expired at midnight on Wednesday night forced the Celtics’ hand, and the front office decided to ship their defensive anchor and leader in the clubhouse to Memphis to acquire the 7-foot-3 sharpshooter.
Marcus Smart did not expect to be involved in the trade news that is swirling around Thursday night’s NBA draft.
The Celtics’ mainstay was in “complete shock” after being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies late Wednesday night in a three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks to Boston, per the Boston Globe.
“Smart joined a brief call with his closest confidants late Wednesday night, sources said, and expressed hurt that out of all the guards on the roster, the Celtics decided to part ways with him,” Himmelsbach reported.
Himmelsbach added that Smart eventually “reset” and came to grips with the reality of the situation.
Still, given how tightly Smart has been woven into the fabric of the Celtics organization and the Boston community, it’s not at all surprising to learn that he had a deeply personal reaction to learning of this life-altering news.
