Boston Celtics Rumors: 2 potential Marcus Smart trades
Boston Celtics potential trade No. 1:
Danny Ainge recently made his way out to Utah to help out the Jazz, and it should come as no surprise that the team he is working with has an interest in adding Smart. Ainge has always liked fiery players more than flashy ones, and with this deal, he would unload a flashy one in return for a fiery one.
Jordan Clarkson had a breakout season of sorts with the Jazz last season, and his guiding presence off the bench helped him earn the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award last season. This season has seen Clarkson regress back to his old ways though. Pretty much all of his per game stats are down from last season, and he may end up becoming expendable to Utah at the deadline.
Clarkson is still an efficient scorer (he averages 15.2 PPG off the bench) but his shooting is not what it was last season. The primary reason for Clarkson’s dip in scoring productivity is he is shooting just 31 percent from threes this season, which is the lowest it has been since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers. For better or worse, he’s basically been Utah’s version of Dennis Schroder.
Boston would be banking on Clarkson to rediscover his shooting form, but even if he doesn’t, he’s still a better offensive player than Smart. Teams also cannot just blatantly ignore him from behind the arc as they often do with Smart. Smart does bring a lot to the table in terms of defense, but Boston is doing just fine defensively whether or not he’s on the court. It’s time to shake things up and bring in players that can help the offense rather than the defense.
Clarkson’s addition would basically force the team to trade Schroder, although considering he’s playing on a one-year deal, that was probably going to happen anyway. Clarkson has a higher ceiling than either Smart or Schroder, and his consistency off the bench would be a huge help for Tatum and Brown. Clarkson isn’t going to solve Boston’s passing issues, but he’s a better option than both of the team’s current guards, and that would easily make this deal a win for the C’s.