Smart's Value

nighthob

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Again, look at the very short list of buyers, two of whom have been very open about their goals of being in the 2019 lottery. I see two possible teams on it that might consider it. The Bulls because in theory their 2017 & 2018 lotttery picks are their build around guys and now they want vets to help, and the Pacers because they prefer to win.

But even there there are guards that fit Indiana’s situation better (Caldwell-Pope or Bradley) and the Bulls needs are going to be driven by the lottery results. If Chicago is closer to the middle of the lottery and end up with Young or Sexton, signing a third point guard probably falls off their radar.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Didn't ignore it, I responded to it.(I guess not your actual post, someone raising similar issue)

You'll see even in that article, they have two days to match.

If a guy flunks his physical after, different story. That has nothing to do with RFA rules, that's every transaction.
Nope. From JakeRae's article:

When the free-agent moratorium is lifted at noon Thursday, Porter’s signing of the offer sheet will become official. The Wizards then have two more full days in which to match and retain Porter, who would become their highest-paid player. Technically, the Wizards can wait until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday to match the offer.

But even if they match, which an NBA source previously told Newsday they will, it won’t free up the Nets’ salary-cap space. That NBA source indicated to Newsday that the Wizards would then try to tie up the Nets’ money for another four days to July 12.

Here’s how that timeline would work under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement. After the Wizards match, Porter has two days to report and take a physical exam. The Wizards then have two more days to withdraw the match if they want to. The money would count against the Nets’ cap during that period because Porter would return to the Nets should the Wizards withdraw the match.
The issue is this - once Porter (or any other RFA) signs that offer sheet, it is as good (for him) as a signed contract. The Wizards can walk away based on the physical, but that leaves Brooklyn committed to their offer. Brooklyn's money remains tied up because it is still possible that they end up signing the player.
 

the moops

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Teams make cap clearing moves all the time, so I would not just limit the possible teams to the 8 listed on the previous page. I do agree, that nobody is going to throw 20 million at him though.
 

Swedgin

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Right. And most of them are going to miss out on the fish.

That's why dudes like Ian Mahimni and Kelly Olynyk get paid. Those teams aimed higher, missed, and had money to spend on the nexl level guy.
Mahimini was in a completely cap environment. His contract like Byombo's et al, don't tell us anything. Kelly signed after getting renounced and got 4/50. That is basically average starter money. Joe Ingles and Tony Snell got similar deals. I assume the Cetlics would match an offer sheet in that range for Smart. Plenty of RFA's were left hanging: Nerlens, KCP, Mirotic, JaMycheal Green, Len and Plumlee (though Denver inexplicably overpaid him notwithstanding his total lack of leverage - maybe sunk cost fallacy from the Nurkic trade).

Teams make cap clearing moves all the time, so I would not just limit the possible teams to the 8 listed on the previous page. I do agree, that nobody is going to throw 20 million at him though.
Certainly possible, but historically cap clearing moves have been made for big fish, not restricted guys who are borderline starters. Add to that cap space is especially scare this year and the value team's assign to first round picks has been steadily on the rise.

Most likely destinations seem like Chicago or the Pacers, maybe the Lakers if they strike out (I agree the fit seems poor, but I could see Magic valuing the intangibles more than most).
 

Eddie Jurak

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Certainly possible, but historically cap clearing moves have been made for big fish, not restricted guys who are borderline starters. Add to that cap space is especially scare this year and the value team's assign to first round picks has been steadily on the rise.

Most likely destinations seem like Chicago or the Pacers, maybe the Lakers if they strike out (I agree the fit seems poor, but I could see Magic valuing the intangibles more than most).
No love for Phoenix? They seem like a nice fit to me, especially if they land #1 (Doncic).
 

Manzivino

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Phoenix owes Brandon Knight $15M per for 2 more years and he's basically untradeable coming off ACL surgery, plus next year is Booker's last on his rookie deal before he's presumably jumps to the max. Signing Smart would be a lot of money for a non-contender to tie up in their backcourt, even moreso if they land Doncic (unlikely) or Young. Plus they would have to renounce Monroe to open up any cap space and they're much better off signing him to an extension, he's been an under-the-radar stud for them since the trade.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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I live out of market so I don't hear the well of wisdom that is coming from Boston sports talk radio. That said, more than one person here has made reference to "Average Al" and a Boston-based friend who is a casual Celtics fan (and sports talk radio listener) thinks Horford is "not a max player", is vastly overrated and should be traded ASAP.

The reality is that any big ticket FA signing of a player who doesn't have tangible traditional numbers (shooting, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals) or a clearly demonstrable skill set is going to be a lightning rod for local media and fans.

Hell, Smart jacking ~ 10+ FGAs a game for the Celtics gets a lot of people here worked up - imagine him going to another team and doing that. Brooklyn? The NY media would destroy the Nets for that just for sport and not even acknowledge the defensive presence/leadership traits he brings. And in smaller markets, he would likely be a divisive acquisition given his tendency to miss badly and sometimes often.

Most NBA executives are trying to win as well as keep their job. Smart clearly can help the right team with the former but for the wrong team, signing him to a big contract is a career limiting move for a GM/executive. As such, I think his market may be smaller than other FAs, even if many teams know that what he brings is valuable.
 

bigq

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Halfway into the season is Smart a leading candidate for 6th Man award? I don’t know the NBA well enough to have an educated opinion but Smart’s importance to the team with the best record in the league cannot be disputed.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Halfway into the season is Smart a leading candidate for 6th Man award? I don’t know the NBA well enough to have an educated opinion but Smart’s importance to the team with the best record in the league cannot be disputed.
Probably not but that's more due to the year Tyreke Evans and Lou Williams are having.

edit: Although Evans has started half his games so might not qualify for the award come April.
 

ssspence

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I think if you had 4 GMs, one would offer 5 million a year, another 10, another 15, and another 20. Which is why I think he’s ultimately going to get overpaid and leave, but it’s been quite an adventure.
Not a ton of teams with cap space this summer. Which GM’s gonna offer him $15MM per? Which is gonna offer him $20MM?

And by the way, no idiot is offering him $5MM per. If he was a UFA and got such an offer he’d laugh. But he’s not, he’s an RFA.
 

Manzivino

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Probably not but that's more due to the year Tyreke Evans and Lou Williams are having.

edit: Although Evans has started half his games so might not qualify for the award come April.
Eric Gordon’s in the mix too, probably only limited by how many games Harden/Paul are both healthy at the same time.
 

lovegtm

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I would hope that despite the lack of flashy stats, he will get consideration also for DPOY.
Why? He plays 30 minutes a game, and while RPM isn't the be-all-end-all, he grades out as just slightly positive on D there. Jaylen might be a more valuable defensive player very soon, if not already.

I like Marcus a lot, but I don't think he's going to be very happy with his next contract.
 

the moops

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Why? He plays 30 minutes a game, and while RPM isn't the be-all-end-all, he grades out as just slightly positive on D there.
Voters do not look at RPM.
Others who have a chance at DPOY also play around 30 minutes per game - Green (32 mpg) as an example.
He is versatile, makes highlight defensive plays, plays for the best defensive team in the league, and is known around the league as a defensive force
 

lovegtm

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Voters do not look at RPM.
Others who have a chance at DPOY also play around 30 minutes per game - Green (32 mpg) as an example.
He is versatile, makes highlight defensive plays, plays for the best defensive team in the league, and is known around the league as a defensive force
I was commenting more on the "hopes" he gets DPOY consideration part, since I think he'd be incredibly undeserving of it. You're definitely correct that he might get a little consideration for it, for the reasons you mentioned.
 

Deathofthebambino

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So happy to see this leak out from somewhere. Been saying since he got hurt that we were going to find out just how valuable Marcus is to this team, and through these five games, I think the answer has been a resounding "not very much." I think he's such a negative on the offensive end of the floor that it completely eliminates, and then some, the value he brings on the other end.

If Brad would take the ball out of his hands, and/or if Marcus started recognizing that he's not the 1st or 2nd (or 4th) best scoring option, at any time and with anyone else on the floor, then he could be a very good guy off the bench, but I've lost faith that will ever happen, and as such, I think it's time for him to go. It's not just about the shots he misses either, it's about the opportunity cost of taking those shots away from guys like Brown, Tatum, Rozier, etc. Does anyone think we would have had a chance to see what Terry can bring with Kyrie out, if Marcus, was playing right now? We'll get another 6-7 games without Marcus to see if it continues to play out as it has, but through at least 5 games, in which we went 4-1, with our only loss a close game at Golden State, and 2 blowout wins without Kyrie, sign me up for being very optimistic at what we'll see over the next two weeks.

All that said, I'm not an expert on the NBA salary cap, and thus, I'm not here to say I have any idea what his value might be around the league, but I know I won't shed any tears if he's moved, and I think the team will be better for it. Couple that with whatever we might get for him, the addition of Monroe, and the return of Gordon (I'm convinced he's back before the end of the regular season), and I think this team is primed for a deep, Championship level, run. This year. Not next year. This year.
 

Reverend

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So happy to see this leak out from somewhere. Been saying since he got hurt that we were going to find out just how valuable Marcus is to this team, and through these five games, I think the answer has been a resounding "not very much." I think he's such a negative on the offensive end of the floor that it completely eliminates, and then some, the value he brings on the other end.

If Brad would take the ball out of his hands, and/or if Marcus started recognizing that he's not the 1st or 2nd (or 4th) best scoring option, at any time and with anyone else on the floor, then he could be a very good guy off the bench, but I've lost faith that will ever happen, and as such, I think it's time for him to go. It's not just about the shots he misses either, it's about the opportunity cost of taking those shots away from guys like Brown, Tatum, Rozier, etc. Does anyone think we would have had a chance to see what Terry can bring with Kyrie out, if Marcus, was playing right now? We'll get another 6-7 games without Marcus to see if it continues to play out as it has, but through at least 5 games, in which we went 4-1, with our only loss a close game at Golden State, and 2 blowout wins without Kyrie, sign me up for being very optimistic at what we'll see over the next two weeks.

All that said, I'm not an expert on the NBA salary cap, and thus, I'm not here to say I have any idea what his value might be around the league, but I know I won't shed any tears if he's moved, and I think the team will be better for it. Couple that with whatever we might get for him, the addition of Monroe, and the return of Gordon (I'm convinced he's back before the end of the regular season), and I think this team is primed for a deep, Championship level, run. This year. Not next year. This year.
FWIW, not long ago, Smart said in interview that they tell him to just keep shooting, and so he will.

Do with that as you will.
 

Deathofthebambino

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FWIW, not long ago, Smart said in interview that they tell him to just keep shooting, and so he will.

Do with that as you will.
I remember. That's why I started the second paragraph with "If Brad would take the ball out of his hands..." I don't lay the blame solely on Marcus. You can't keep taking a dozen shots a night at 30% unless you're getting support from your coach to keep doing it, so this is clearly not just a Marcus issue.

I think the interesting part of this story is who spilled the beans that they are shopping him for a first rounder and why? I have to think it came out of the Celtics organization, and there is a reason Woj is spilling it now. Has Brad finally come around on Marcus, in light of the terrible Marcus hero moment in the last game before he cut himself, or is Ainge doing this on his own? There is obviously more to the story than just "Marcus swiped at a picture frame," but is that additional information the reason they are shopping him, or is it solely because of his play on the court (or Rozier's emergence).

Whatever it is, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but one thing is for sure, Marcus has spent the last 2-3 months doing nothing but destroying his chances at a huge contract next year.
 

Bleedred

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I have no problem with Marcus taking his shots when it is in the flow of the offense. What is absolutely infuriating, and what DOTB points out quite well, is when there is 6-9 seconds left on the shot clock and Marcus just holds the ball, pounds it into the floor, and throws up some bullshit that has about a 8% chance of going in. This seems to happen at least 1-2 times per game. With Terry's impressive play, Marcus's contract status and the overall depth of this team, sign me up for a first round pick in exchange for Marcus.
 

JakeRae

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I remember. That's why I started the second paragraph with "If Brad would take the ball out of his hands..." I don't lay the blame solely on Marcus. You can't keep taking a dozen shots a night at 30% unless you're getting support from your coach to keep doing it, so this is clearly not just a Marcus issue.

I think the interesting part of this story is who spilled the beans that they are shopping him for a first rounder and why? I have to think it came out of the Celtics organization, and there is a reason Woj is spilling it now. Has Brad finally come around on Marcus, in light of the terrible Marcus hero moment in the last game before he cut himself, or is Ainge doing this on his own? There is obviously more to the story than just "Marcus swiped at a picture frame," but is that additional information the reason they are shopping him, or is it solely because of his play on the court (or Rozier's emergence).

Whatever it is, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but one thing is for sure, Marcus has spent the last 2-3 months doing nothing but destroying his chances at a huge contract next year.
Most likely the answer is that they view Evans and Williams as an upgrade and there are only so many minutes. I'd be shocked if they trade Smart without acquiring another guard/wing.

Even in terms of a regular season rotation, there aren't really minutes for all of Irving, Smart, Rozier, Evans/Williams, Brown, and Tatum at the 1-3 positions now that the team has largely moved away from Tatum at the 4.

The 5 guys we currently have are averaging 150 MPG. (Rozier is around 24 while everyone else is at 30+ MPG with Irving's 33 MPG as the highest.) We've already added another big in Monroe we need to fit into the 4/5 rotation that is now reasonably crowder with Horford, Baynes, Morris, Monroe and Theis. (The Monroe acquisition probably means that Semi and Larkin are not in the healthy rotation anymore.)

Prior to the Monroe acquisition, it was possible to see the team adding a guard and playing smaller with Tatum going back to more significant minutes at the 4, Brown sliding up to the 3 as his primary role, and everyone who matters getting sufficient playing time. With Monroe, they seem to be largely committed to Tatum as their primary 3, so adding a guard squeezes the guard rotation and basically requires a corresponding move.

Note, they could also move Morris to create room for Evans or Williams, but they will need to move someone because there are simply only so many minutes in a game.
 

benhogan

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Rumors of Marcus being offered for a pick?
I wonder if we don't have the full backstory with Marcus (ie LA Doll nonsense, negotiations last year, hand injury, etc) and Brad/Danny/Ownership have no interest in re-signing him.
A guy that several have mentioned before that may match up for Smart is Will Barton. Nuggets already have two prolific scorers at guard in Harris/Murray, and they could use the defensive help.

A 2nd unit of Rozier, Barton, Morris, Monroe/Theis, Ojeleye(eventually Hayward) is pretty well balanced
 

Eddie Jurak

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I remember. That's why I started the second paragraph with "If Brad would take the ball out of his hands..." I don't lay the blame solely on Marcus. You can't keep taking a dozen shots a night at 30% unless you're getting support from your coach to keep doing it, so this is clearly not just a Marcus issue.
I would still argue that there are some cause and effect issues here. Is Smart's offense bad because the Celtics' second unit offense is awful or is the Celtics second unit offense awful because of Smart? No question his offensive development has been pretty poor, and he's in the midst of what looks like a career worst season.

I think the interesting part of this story is who spilled the beans that they are shopping him for a first rounder and why? I have to think it came out of the Celtics organization, and there is a reason Woj is spilling it now. Has Brad finally come around on Marcus, in light of the terrible Marcus hero moment in the last game before he cut himself, or is Ainge doing this on his own? There is obviously more to the story than just "Marcus swiped at a picture frame," but is that additional information the reason they are shopping him, or is it solely because of his play on the court (or Rozier's emergence).
I think you may be right here. I'm not sure what has led them to this point (if it was them), but I think possible reasons could be 1) motivational (they wanted him to hear that they are shopping him for a pick), 2) they are gauging free agent interest in him, 3) they are bullish on Heyward returning in-season and see Smart as the guy who will lose minutes.

Edit: If not Hayward, Danny may see dealing Smart as a way to add an Evans or Williams.
 
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jasail

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Smart and Evans, while not similar players, share similarities. They were both top draft choices; they have not lived up to expectations but have found themselves roles as critical bench players; they are combo guards who can play multiple positions; they are not complete players; and they have some red flags.

I bring this up to point out that maybe DA is using Smart trade rumors to ground MEM's demands for Evans. Say, MEM wants a #1 and talent for Evans. Ainge will give them the #1, but has no interest in parting with Yabu or Terry. So, he floats that Smart - a similar level of player who has bird rights - is available for a #1. This could push MEM to reconsider their demands.

I just can't see DA trading Marcus right now. His value is at its lowest given his injury and the circumstances around it. No matter how crazy he makes you, his versatility to defend 5 positions is incredible. He is an important closer on the C's team if they need defensive stops. His personality also seems to give the team its edge. Lastly, the only team that would want him is a playoff team, and would you want to see him on a potential competitor in the playoffs?

I'm OK with DA trading him in the off-season in a sign and trade, but I'm skeptical that he's actually on the market right now. This strikes me much more as a message to MEM regarding their asking price for Evans.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Rumors of Marcus being offered for a pick?
I wonder if we don't have the full backstory with Marcus (ie LA Doll nonsense, negotiations last year, hand injury, etc) and Brad/Danny/Ownership have no interest in re-signing him.
The only backstory is the same one its always been.....the one I've pounded into the ground until nighthob's head hurt. Ainge doesn't overpay role/bench players on long-term deals for the job they will be hired to do when he can easily fill those minutes with much cheaper and shorter term deals to save his money/cap/tax space for the real impact players. He didn't do it with Posey, Big Baby, Turner, Bradley, etc etc. He didn't even do it with Tony Allen (much to my chagrin) or Steimsma.

The only reason Smart has as large a role as he's had this year is due to Hayward's injury. Next year (or sooner), Hayward will be back, Jaylen will presumably improve, and Rozier continues making leaps while still on his rookie deal. There is NO role in Boston for Smart next year so moving him now for a pick gets Ainge some compensation for him as well.
 

the moops

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Smart to OKC makes sense as a Roberson replacement, also playing college ball at OSU.
The owe their 2018 and 2020 first round picks. OKC could be really bad in 2022 though

-edit- And there are so many damn protections on both the 2018 pick (likely to convey this year though) and 2020 pick (1-20 protection for '20, '21, and '22) that a 2022 pick is unlikely to convey
 

mcpickl

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The only backstory is the same one its always been.....the one I've pounded into the ground until nighthob's head hurt. Ainge doesn't overpay role/bench players on long-term deals for the job they will be hired to do when he can easily fill those minutes with much cheaper and shorter term deals to save his money/cap/tax space for the real impact players. He didn't do it with Posey, Big Baby, Turner, Bradley, etc etc. He didn't even do it with Tony Allen (much to my chagrin) or Steimsma.

The only reason Smart has as large a role as he's had this year is due to Hayward's injury. Next year (or sooner), Hayward will be back, Jaylen will presumably improve, and Rozier continues making leaps while still on his rookie deal. There is NO role in Boston for Smart next year so moving him now for a pick gets Ainge some compensation for him as well.
He may not re-sign Smart, but I don't think it's ruled out just because he let a bunch of those other role players go. Most of those guys in your example are older. Marcus will be 24 starting next season.

Ainge signed as role players in that age range, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder. Then, excluding Jae, when they were hitting their late 20s, he moved on from them. He signed Rondo and Jeff Green in this age range as well, but probably thought of them as more than role players.

He may move on from Smart because he's looking for more money than the Celtics are willing to pay, but I wouldn't rule it out just because he let older role players go.
 

JakeRae

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The only backstory is the same one its always been.....the one I've pounded into the ground until nighthob's head hurt. Ainge doesn't overpay role/bench players on long-term deals for the job they will be hired to do when he can easily fill those minutes with much cheaper and shorter term deals to save his money/cap/tax space for the real impact players. He didn't do it with Posey, Big Baby, Turner, Bradley, etc etc. He didn't even do it with Tony Allen (much to my chagrin) or Steimsma.

The only reason Smart has as large a role as he's had this year is due to Hayward's injury. Next year (or sooner), Hayward will be back, Jaylen will presumably improve, and Rozier continues making leaps while still on his rookie deal. There is NO role in Boston for Smart next year so moving him now for a pick gets Ainge some compensation for him as well.
Ainge has rarely paid to keep UFA roleplayers coming off strong performances. He has fairly frequently extended RFA. mcpickl's list is a good illustration of this fact. That's not to say we will keep Smart. One of Smart or Rozier definitely doesn't fit in the organization in the medium term. But, your narrative isn't really accurate.

There are several variables we don't know that Ainge might too. For example, if Smart has indicated he would take a qualifying offer instead of signing a moderately priced longer term deal, Ainge may be looking more aggressively to extract value from him. Or, if Ainge has decided he's going to prioritize keeping Rozier, again, there may not be a real long term place for Smart because of financial realities. For starters, a healthy 2018-19 roster doesn't have a spot for Smart at the end of games anymore as the closing lineup will be Irving, Brown, Hayward, Tatum, Horford.

I really like Smart's game but am coming around to the idea he won't be a Celtic for much longer. However, the reason isn't because Ainge doesn't sign RFA roleplayers.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Ainge has rarely paid to keep UFA roleplayers coming off strong performances. He has fairly frequently extended RFA. mcpickl's list is a good illustration of this fact. That's not to say we will keep Smart. One of Smart or Rozier definitely doesn't fit in the organization in the medium term. But, your narrative isn't really accurate.

There are several variables we don't know that Ainge might too. For example, if Smart has indicated he would take a qualifying offer instead of signing a moderately priced longer term deal, Ainge may be looking more aggressively to extract value from him. Or, if Ainge has decided he's going to prioritize keeping Rozier, again, there may not be a real long term place for Smart because of financial realities. For starters, a healthy 2018-19 roster doesn't have a spot for Smart at the end of games anymore as the closing lineup will be Irving, Brown, Hayward, Tatum, Horford.

I really like Smart's game but am coming around to the idea he won't be a Celtic for much longer. However, the reason isn't because Ainge doesn't sign RFA roleplayers.
Ainge doesn't overpay them for their role on the team and Smart's role would be limited with Hayward. Perkins, Rondo and Bradley were extended for the purpose of playing starters minutes. Far different than overpaying for a bench players role when he's contending and needing to carefully manage his cap/tax which he doesn't do no matter how you try to spin it.

I've always been bullish on Rozier but a decision will also be made on him in the next 12-18 months.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Really interesting article on Smart and the Cs here: http://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/04/marcus-smart-nba-trade-deadline-source-boston-Celtics/. A couple of tidbits.

(1) Cs are asking for unprotected first and rotation player for Smart. If DA can pull that off, I have to think he has Jedi mind powers or something like that.

(2) W/r/t Smart's extension, the parameters in place is that he gets more than Roberson (3/$30MM) and less than Gary Harris (4/$84MM). The Cs and Smart were apparently $10MM off: maybe the difference between 4/$50MM and 4/$60MM?
 

slamminsammya

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Really interesting article on Smart and the Cs here: http://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/04/marcus-smart-nba-trade-deadline-source-boston-Celtics/. A couple of tidbits.

(1) Cs are asking for unprotected first and rotation player for Smart. If DA can pull that off, I have to think he has Jedi mind powers or something like that.

(2) W/r/t Smart's extension, the parameters in place is that he gets more than Roberson (3/$30MM) and less than Gary Harris (4/$84MM). The Cs and Smart were apparently $10MM off: maybe the difference between 4/$50MM and 4/$60MM?
Sounds like a man who doesn't want to let Smart go. Unprotected first + rotation player = I just want it to look like I am abstractly open to letting you walk.
 

Koufax

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Unless the trade partner was one with a strong record, and thus looking at a first round pick late in the draft. Smart could be an upgrade from a 9th player to a 7th player on the team at the cost of, say, the 27th pick in the draft.

And of course this is only an opening ask. For all we know, Danny will be flexible on this.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Sounds like a man who doesn't want to let Smart go. Unprotected first + rotation player = I just want it to look like I am abstractly open to letting you walk.
If I were DA, I'd be torn about trying to get some value before Smart signs an offer the Cs can't afford and keeping him for the stretch run. Whatever people say of Smart he does add value as a basketball player.

At any rate, the market for Smart is pretty limited. Most (if not all) of the teams outside of the playoffs aren't trying to win this year or have cap situations that won't let them trade draft picks (NYK + CHA for example) and how many of the rest of the teams want to sacrifice a draft pick when Smart isn't going to get them much further?
 

nighthob

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Really interesting article on Smart and the Cs here: http://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/04/marcus-smart-nba-trade-deadline-source-boston-Celtics/. A couple of tidbits.

(1) Cs are asking for unprotected first and rotation player for Smart. If DA can pull that off, I have to think he has Jedi mind powers or something like that.

(2) W/r/t Smart's extension, the parameters in place is that he gets more than Roberson (3/$30MM) and less than Gary Harris (4/$84MM). The Cs and Smart were apparently $10MM off: maybe the difference between 4/$50MM and 4/$60MM?
Allegedly there were talks with Denver around a Mudiay for Smart swap, Boston demanded a #1 in the trade, which makes sense as Mudiay is a bust and reclamation project. I'm guessing that Boston got a lot of calls after the injury from GMs looking to poach.

Mudiay is one of those guys (like Dante Exum) that Ainge was alleged to like pre-draft, so the rumour makes some sense. Right now I'll be surprised if he does go in trade as every rumour to date has been about teams trying to get a bargain and despite the claims to the contrary, Ainge never gift wraps bargains for other teams.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Jul 7, 2007
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Mudiay in his third year has gone from "worst player in the NBA" to merely "really, really bad", but certainly if Denver is willing to throw in a first rounder for the privilege of paying him, I think the Celtics jump.

More to the point, I think Marcus has played his last game in green. Leaking the "he's available for a first" smells like Ainge using the media to pique interest and get something for a guy he knows he won't be re-signing. Rozier's development has made Smart expendable, but he still could be attractive to teams like Denver who are looking for a wing defender who can facilitate on offense. Plus, he may have played and punched his way into a more palatable contract for the team looking to acquire and extend him, so I wouldn't be shocked to see a team give decent value for him.

It's possible that the brain trust sees enough of a window this year that keeping Marcus on for the playoff run then letting him walk outweighs acquiring a late first or a couple of seconds for him, but I suspect they're confident enough giving more minutes to Rozier, Larkin, to a lesser extent, and tightening up the rotations come playoff time.