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Marcus Smart Makes Honest Statement on Boston Celtics Trade

Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart opened up about the Boston Celtics trade.
Joey Linn|
Dec 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) waves to the crowd while entering the a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
Dec 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) waves to the crowd while entering the a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

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Marcus Smart was the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics. Drafted by the franchise sixth overall in the 2014 NBA draft, Smart spent nine seasons in Boston before getting traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023.

Playing just 20 games in his first season with the Grizzlies, Smart was injured both times Memphis faced his former team. Playing the Celtics for the first time in his NBA career on Saturday, Smart received a nice ovation from the fans when he checked in.

Via Celtics reporter Taylor Snow: "Celtics fans welcome MarcusSmart for his first game back at TD Garden."

Smart has been open about the trade that sent him to Memphis, explaining a level of understanding for why the Celtics made that deal, while also being critical of how it went down. Speaking with reporters prior to the Grizzlies-Celtics game, Smart reiterated that same sentiment.

“Like I said, business-wise, it was a great business move," Smart said (h/t Bleacher Report). "I would have made the move and I think anybody probably would have."

This is a reasonable feeling for Smart to have, and one that several NBA players who have been traded can relate to. Organizations will often not let players know that they are in trade talks or could be sent elsewhere. 

For a player like Smart, who met so much to Boston, he wishes the organization would have been more upfront with him before the unexpected deal. 

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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