Boston Celtics: PAE names 4 Bulls in potential Marcus Smart deal
Trade season is among us, Boston Celtics fans. Every year, the offseason provides HH and the entire NBA media conglomerate to come up with hypothetical trades to improve the roster.
This year is different, though. Unlike in years past, where the Cs have done their damage in the free-agent market, the lack of cap space and installation of a new front office brain trust almost ensures that something major is going to go down.
That isn’t to say the team won’t make good use of the MLE or any other cap exception to round out the edges, but new President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens knows first-hand that this roster isn’t good enough to contend with (at least) the Brooklyn Nets, who seem destined to control the power balance of the Eastern Conference as long as Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are in tow.
One of the prominent names often mentioned as a potential goner this season is Marcus Smart. While his contributions over the years have heavily contributed to the Cs having never missed the playoffs since he was drafted by ex-GM Danny Ainge in 2014, his salary is expected to rise beyond what Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck might feel comfortable doling out for a player who has never averaged more than 13 points per game and who owns a career 32% 3-point shooting percentage.
A popular Smart destination in mock trades is the Chicago Bulls, and it makes sense why. Chicago lacks much in the way of keepers outside of Zach LaVine and newly acquired center Nikola Vucevic–who the Bulls acquired at the trade deadline–and can use a defensive boost after finishing in the bottom half of the league in FG allowed.
Pippen Ain’t Easy, our Bulls counterpart here at FanSided, came up with a few trades to bring the former Defensive Player of the Year to the Windy City.
The Boston Celtics could focus on firepower, or retain their defensive intensity in said deals.
Here are the four players he could see Chi-Town sending out in a hypothetical Smart trade: