The Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies reportedly agreed to a trade involving Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis, and other players and picks before the NBA Draft. Porzingis will be traded to the Celtics, Smart will go to the Grizzlies, and the Wizards will receive Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari, and a second-round pick from the Celtics. The trade has not been officially confirmed.
Fox News: Celtics stunningly trade Marcus Smart as part of 3-team deal ahead of draft: reports
Ryan Gaydos; June 22, 2023
The Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a trade involving Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis and other players and picks ahead of the NBA Draft, according to multiple reports.
The Wizards agreed to trade Porzingis to the Celtics with Smart heading to the Grizzlies, according to the reports. ESPN reported the Wizards are also receiving Tyus Jones from the Grizzlies and Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari and a second-round pick in Thursday’s draft from the Celtics.
The trades have yet to be made official.
Smart was the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Defensive First Team member. Boston selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2014 draft. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds along with 1.5 steals per game in 61 games for the Celtics last season.
The inclusion of Smart in the deal stunned the NBA world. He seemed to be primed to play for Boston for the rest of his career. His hustle and heart on the floor have gone a long way for the Celtics, but his veteran leadership will certainly be valuable to a young Grizzlies team.
Boston is reportedly receiving first-round picks from Memphis for the 2023 and 2024 drafts.
Gallinari was a big offseason acquisition for the Celtics last year, but he got hurt before he even stepped on the floor.
The Wizards acquired Porzingis from the Dallas Mavericks during the 2021-22 season. Last season was his first full year in Washington. The one-time All-Star averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 65 games for the Wizards.
The Wizards reportedly received a second-round pick as well.
Jones played the last four seasons in Memphis. He started 22 of the 80 games he appeared in and averaged a career-high 10.3 points and 5.2 assists. Muscala is a veteran forward who spent last season in between Boston and the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played 63 games and averaged 6.1 points per game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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