The Boston Celtics finally made the back court decision that everyone should have been anticipating.
The Boston Celtics knew that it was only a matter of time before this decision had to be made. With Isaiah Thomas as the priority, the Celtics knew they would not be able to keep both Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart long term.
Even if the Celtics decided to trade Jae Crowder, the Celtics need to have more resources for their front court, and there is no way they would be fitting a contract for both Bradley and Smart next to Thomas.
With the cap situation with Gordon Hayward and a willing trade partner, the Celtics found a way to make their decision, without losing out completely.
Losing Bradley is something every fan will feel for a long time, but Smart has been the future of this team since he was drafted, and by bringing Marcus Morris in with two years remaining on his deal, the Celtics made their decision while making a much needed addition to their front court.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
Simply put, it is devastating. Bradley is the last standing member of the Paul Pierce era. He is the Celtics, he has been the most important player on this team in the Stevens era, but this now marks the beginning of a different era.
The Celtics are no longer the overachieving underdogs with a depleted roster and a wizard of a coach. Bradley embodied that these last few years of the Celtics have meant more than anyone else, and his departure marks a turning point in the rebuild.
It is time for the young kids to grow up.
Smart’s relentless defensive activity and versatility combined with the most uncanny ability to do every single little thing on the court has given him all the playing time he needed over the years. That being said, there were always rough patches.
Smart has never looked anything like a finished product, but now that he is the longest tenured player on the team, he needs to take that next step.
The Celtics get more defensive versatility out of Smart and they will get it for more years than Bradley can maintain his All NBA defense level of play. Smart now needs to take a page out of Bradley’s book and make the shooting improvement that most are saying is impossible.
Bradley was the most polished and trusted player on this team, and that is everything that Smart is missing. If Smart takes that step, then the Celtics know they made the right decision, even if that does nothing to lessen the impact of losing Bradley.
The Celtics are taking a chance on Smart, because there are a lot of issues. That being said, everything the Celtics have done pointed in this direction.
Positionless basketball is taking over the Celtics and Smart literally guards positions one to five. No one in the league can shut down an individual point guard and clean as Bradley can, but having Smart completely transforms what Stevens can do with his defensive lineups.
With Bradley, the Celtics had the perfect two guard for this team. With Smart and, down the line, Jaylen Brown and Jaytun Tatum, the Celtics do not need to worry about something like a two guard.
The more position versatility the Celtics have the easier it is to embrace. Bradley was the best individual defender on this team, but the younger options present options that his size and strength cannot accommodate.
The Celtics are entering a new era. They have added their max contract free agent and there is no clearer sign that the Celtics are ready to see if Smart is everything they have wanted to be.
The good news is that Smart is still not the only option. With Brown behind him, the Celtics can afford to have made the wrong decision here, and still end up with the same long term player at that position.
This move, however, is a clear indication of what kind of players and athletes the Celtics want. It is also a sign that the Celtics are not interested in winning one championship with this core.
The Celtics moved Bradley in a won now move to clear cap space for Hayward, but the same could have been done by trading Smart. Keeping Smart maintains more options and more potential in the future, even if he may still need time to become the complete NBA player that Bradley is.
Next: Utah Summer League Report Card
It is a tough move for Celtics fans to handle because no one should be able to get behind losing Bradley. And yet, once again, Ainge is making the move that brings this team closer to their ultimate end game