UH-OH. Smart Being Shopped?

[footey]

I really don't want to let Smart go. Crowder is now the most redundant of all the guys who would get shopped given Hayward is playing that SF/PF combo, Tatum needs playing time in the same role and Brown gets the SG/SF minutes. Smart adds toughness to this team and he can guard pretty much anyone under 6'8". If he ever does discover a jump shot he'd be more valuable than either Bradley or Crowder.

With that said, it may be that Smart is getting shopped because of his conflicts with Brown last year. There was some video out there of some of the practices and I'm not sure those two get along very well. Brown's a key part of the future of this team and if those two create locker room friction then Smart needs to go.

Agree with Granath, except I don't really see Smart-Brown conflict since that tussle early in the year.  But team should have a read on this.

i hear people talking about Smart needs to go because of Brown/Tatum needs minutes off the bench, but I actually disagree

now that we have Hayward, Brown, Bradley, etc, I think Smart is better off playing PG. He provides much better passing than any of the 3

Here is the problem for Smart:

Up to now, he is able to get minutes on the floor as

a) back up PG behind Isaiah
b) back up 2 behind Avery
c) super-small-ball 3 in our 3-guard lineups.

However, the roster going forward looks to be quite different.   We now have numerous options to play at the 2 & 3, both offensively and defensively.   In addition to Avery, we now have Hayward & Jaylen who both can play the 2, the former at an all-star level and the latter possibly trending that way.  And we currently have Hayward, Jae, Jaylen, Jayson, Nader & Semi who can all play the 3.

There should be far less reason for Brad to use 'super small' lineups that would put Smart at the 3 ever again (those lineups all _sucked_ defensively).   So those minutes probably vanish.

And you don't have to look far down the road to see Jaylen as a better option at the 2 than Marcus.   So Marcus' minutes at the 2 suddenly look fewer and fewer.

And with two forwards who are extremely capable playmakers in Horford and Hayward added, the need for a playmaker at PG is less critical.

Our roster is set up to play far more 'wing focused' than 'guard focused' going forward.  We will almost certainly see lots of 3-wing lineups and maybe even some 4-wing lineups and hopefully we will never see any more 3-guard lineups again.

So this relegates Marcus' role on this roster to primarily being that of bench PG.   And that is not likely to change barring a trade that moves one of our young stud wings.

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean Marcus should be traded right now.   Avery's and Jae's contracts would potentially return much more cap space and cap space is the primary goal of Danny's next move.   Of the three, contract reasons would favor Avery being traded first and foremost.

But it should set you up to understand that, even if Marcus is not traded right now, he is not likely to be re-signed next Summer when he reaches free agency.   He's probably worth, as others have noted, somewhere north of 10M per to some other teams.   But on a contending team carrying 3 max contracts, you cannot afford to pay that much for a bench PG who is primarily a defensive specialist.

And one more thought that _would_ tend to favor trading Marcus right now instead of waiting and say, moving him at the deadline, is that there is a real risk that his trade value is peaked.   If, as I have outlined, his minutes and role take a big hit this year, then he may not have near as much trade value in February as he does right now.   Now, if IT starts off the season on the inactive list, that may not be true because maybe he'd get enough minutes at the start of the season to keep his value propped up.   But Steven's last comments on IT were that he expected him to be ready to go to start the season.

So there is a real risk that he will appear by the trade deadline to be reduced from 30-minute key rotation player to just "bench PG / defensive specialist".

But who will be our back up PG? Rozier is gone too, no?

[vjcsmoke]

obviously if u trade smart you must keep rozier. d Jackson would be expendable though...

da needs to work some more trade magic!

[Celtics4ever]

But who will be our back up PG? Rozier is gone too, no?

Quit, acting like this is the end of the world its not.  ( In best Brock Samson voice) besides it has not came to pass.

[dreamgreen]

But who will be our back up PG? Rozier is gone too, no?

Quit, acting like this is the end of the world its not.  ( In best Brock Samson voice) besides it has not came to pass.

Beginning of a better one if it's without Smart. 

[Sophomore]

But who will be our back up PG? Rozier is gone too, no?

Quit, acting like this is the end of the world its not.  ( In best Brock Samson voice) besides it has not came to pass.

Beginning of a better one if it's without Smart. 

Smart as a rotation player available for about 20 minutes at $10 million a year is a nice player to have, especially if he ups his offensive game enough that it isn't so ... offensive. That player is worthwhile; our answer to Iguodala.

Realistic hope: he can spot-start against certain players and lineups, continues to play very stout defense yielding a few big plays a game, maybe develops one or two league-average offensive skills. With Hayward and Tatum in the fold, possibly a Gerald Green or other microwave player, there should be enough scoring on the second unit to make him a plus.

But yes. Counting on him to start, or paying him starter money, is not a good thing.

[miraclejohan]

Just posted this in a separate thread, but why wouldn't Danny use NYK's interest in Smart to get something from them and shed salary while facilitating something for the otehr players and maybe try to pick up a pick or two in the process? 

Assuming NYK is committing to Porzingas and would like to build around him they'll likely want to move Melo and add young/expirings.  Utah wants to feel compensated for Hayward, too.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybov7pp4

Basically Smart for Hernangonez through facilitating Love/Melo/Houston 3-way.

[Neurotic Guy]

It would seem to me that a trade that gives Smart to NYK and nets Hernangomez for the Cs would be a fair value trade.  Maybe more needs to come back (protected 1st or a 2nd) but I like Hernangomez and think he fits great here.   I'd be good for a straight up deal if salaries work.

That said, I love Marcus and the x-factor he brings to the table.  Intense defense,  all-world end of game defense, occasional shooting (yes he's had some big games offensively and might improve as time goes on), and brings a toughness that I think works both ways - but will eventually be primarily positive.  Willy looks like a high energy force on the boards who has some passing skills and seems to be exactly the missing piece on the Cs roster.

[manl_lui]

ok if Bradley is being shipped out, can we keep Smart now? please?

[SHAQATTACK]

Tooooooo late

Smart stays ....woo hoo !

Bye bye AB

Hello Morris

[mahcus smaht]

Marcus needs to slim down.

He will need to pick up ITs man and with jaylen improving and the addition of Hayward we won't need him to cover as many wings and swings.

He's got to be able to cover ballhandlers.