Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Smart Reportedly a Trade Target for Minnesota Timberwolves
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Minnesota Timberwolves, exceeding external and perhaps internal expectations, with a 26-25 record and sitting seventh in the West, have been linked to Celtics' point guard Marcus Smart.
Fischer says the Timberwolves are also looking to move their current floor general, Patrick Beverley, before the Feb. 10 trade deadline. Beverley will be a free agent this summer. Conversely, Smart signed a four-year, $77.1 million max contract extension with the Celtics in the offseason.
Minnesota appears to be searching to augment the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D'Angelo Russell. That makes trading the latter to acquire Smart something they'd probably be resistant to, regardless of whether one feels that would be a good move or a mistake for Boston.
The Timberwolves have intriguing young players such as Jarred Vanderbilt, a six-foot-nine forward, who's a stingy defender, as evidenced by his 1.6 steals per game. He's also producing 7.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. There's also Naz Reid, a backup center, averaging 8.4 points and four rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game.
According to Fischer, along with Beverley, Minnesota is shopping Malik Beasley. If the Celtics want one or both of them in return for Smart, they'd probably be Boston bound. However, Beasley is generating only 12 points per game, and he's having one of his worst seasons from beyond the arc, converting only 34.3 percent of his 8.4 attempts per contest.
Even with the inclusion of draft capital, the Timberwolves don't seem like a match for the Celtics, who are primarily searching for shooting and playmaking, in a deal that would force Boston to part with its starting point guard.
Further Reading
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The Latest Intel on Marcus Smart and Al Horford as Trade Deadline Approaches
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