Boston Celtics: 3 players who might not finish the season with Cs

Boston Celtics player No. 3) Marcus Smart

Obviously, as we’ve alluded to Hernangomez has shown to have little value at this point into the season, and Nesmith, though we believe he has some in regard to his long-term outlook, doesn’t have all that much himself for the immediate future which, in turn, makes it virtually impossible that either one of them will be able to bring back an asset of significant value as the main piece, outside of draft picks, in a trade.

Frankly, of those who are viewed as realistically expendable on the Cs — i.e. those not named Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — veteran guard Marcus Smart is likely the one who could be of most use in a transaction due to his proven two-way abilities and salary-matching contract.

Yes, we’re well aware that the eighth-year veteran is not having himself all that great of a start to the year, as he’s putting up averages of just 10.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game on just 38 percent shooting from the field, but he’s never been one to blow people away with his box-score numbers.

His most valuable traits are, and have always been his hustle, leadership, and, most importantly, defensive excellence, which he’s still showcasing at a high-end rate this year (averaging a league-leading 2.3 steals per game and boasts the second-best defensive box plus-minus rating for Boston at +2.7).

Despite his lacking counting numbers this year, the allure of Smart’s intangibles alone could make numerous teams across the league interested in the idea of acquiring, while his contract situation helps make certain finances work in bigger budget deals such as ones for, say, Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield, etc.

If the Boston Celtics were to opt to pursue a blockbuster, or a near blockbuster deal, you most certainly can bet that Marcus Smart will be involved in one way or another.