Boston reportedly is saying goodbye to Smart after nine seasons
The Celtics only sent out one tweet Wednesday, and it didn’t age especially well.
Just after 10:30 a.m. ET, Boston posted a highlight reel for its longest-tenured player, Marcus Smart. The tweet commends the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year for his unrelenting hustle, and the accompanying video shows Smart excelling on both ends of the floor.
But a little over 12 hours later, a bombshell report indicated the veteran guard was bound for a new NBA city.
The Celtics were forced to call an audible after their initial attempt to land Kristaps Porzingis failed reportedly due to injury concerns about Malcolm Brogdon. The end result was a three-team deal with the Grizzlies and the Wizards, which reportedly sends Porzingis to Boston and Smart to Memphis.
Once the news broke, countless fans revisited the aforementioned tweet.
The traits and skills highlighted in the video reportedly were the main reasons why Memphis “really wanted” Smart, who will play his 10th NBA season in the 2023-24 campaign. The 29-year-old’s postseason experience also reportedly appealed to the Grizzlies, who will play the first 25 games of next season without superstar point guard Ja Morant.
As for the Celtics, they’ll try to land their next long-term, homegrown player with the 25th overall pick in Thursday night’s draft.