Celtics Reportedly Looking to Trade Marcus Smart to Sixers
By Leo Koukakis
A report surfaced this morning that the Boston Celtics are looking to trade Marcus Smart and a pair of first rounders in this years draft to the Philadelphia 76ers for Nerlens Noel and the 3rd overall pick.
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In all honesty my knee jerk reaction was that this was a terrible idea because of how well Smart played in his rookie season, but its actually an intriguing trade. The Celtics would probably go with DeAngelo Russell with the third pick, and allow him to learn from other guards like Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley for a few years before really allowing Russell to take the reigns.
The Celtics would also get Noel who would really help things down low. He is slowly becoming one of the better defensive big men in the game, and would help the Celtics who ranked dead last with just 3.6 blocks per game last season.
This trade would also allow them some more freedom to explore a trade involving either, or possibly both, Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger. It’s been rumored that Celtic general manager Danny Ainge wouldn’t hesitate to use Olynyk as a throw in to get a trade done, and it wouldn’t be devastating to the club since he is one of the worst defensive big men in the East.
Oct 29, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center
Kelly Olynyk(41) passes to center
Jared Sullinger(7) during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
However, the more interesting guy the Celtics could look to trade is Sullinger. There is no question that Sully has the potential to be a consistent double double guy, but his inconsistencies drive both Celtics fans and staff insane. I’m not ready to give him away for free, but after posting good numbers in limited playing time during the playoffs, Sully could be a key piece in a trade that brings a big return to Boston.
The Celtics were one of the funnest teams to watch towards the end of last season, and the fact that we would offer a trade that included one of our best young players is a bit out of the box, but it is definitely an interesting proposal. However, it appears that the 76ers didn’t give the offer any serious consideration, so it looks like we will have to stay tuned to see what else Danny has up his sleeve leading up to and through the draft.