The Boston Celtics figure to be one of the busiest teams in the NBA as the Trade Deadline approaches. They already pulled off one move for Bol Bol and PJ Dozier, and it almost certainly won’t be the last one.
Based on how the Celtics have played so far this season, it’s safe to expect pretty much everyone aside from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to be available. Tatum and Brown haven’t exactly been prone to struggling at times this season, but they have consistently gotten little to no help from their supporting cast as well. With no one else really doing much to help ease the scoring burden for those two, it makes sense that Boston’s record sits at 23-23 this far.
It appears that floundering around in mediocrity for the past year and a half has finally taken it’s tole on the front office. President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens sounds motivated to do what he can to find solutions to the Celtics problems. The problem there is that this team suddenly lacks cap space, draft capital, and the players to pull off a deal that can change their fortunes overnight.
Regardless, Stevens is shopping pretty much everything he has around, making Marcus Smart a prime trade candidate as we inch closer to February 10th. Smart is one of the team’s top assets, and reports have been coming out that teams around the league are looking into making a move for the gritty guard. Here are two potential trades for Smart, starting with a deal that would reunite him with our old friend Danny Ainge.
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.
Boston Celtics potential trade No. 2:
Another team that is rumored to bed interested in making a move for Smart is the Atlanta Hawks. The team is looking to add some defense to their team as they try to find the right combination around Trae Young to lead them back to the playoffs. A backcourt duo of Smart and Young could be daunting for other Eastern Conference teams.
In return, the Celtics would land Bogdan Bogdanovic, a Serbian guard with a knack for scoring. Bogdanovic’s scoring numbers are a bit down from last season, although his volume and usage are down as well. But even then, Bogdanovic’s current skillset would put him in position to succeed alongside Tatum and Brown.
Bogdanovic really came into his own last season with the Hawks on their playoff run, and proved to be one of their secret weapons deep into the postseason as well. Bogdanovic shot 47 percent from the field and 44 percent from behind the arc, giving Atlanta some proper spacing on the floor around Young. This season Bogdanovic is only shooting 35 percent from three, but that’s still better than most of the Celtics shooters.
If Bogdanovic can find his shooting stroke from last season, Boston would find themselves with a skilled shooter who can space the floor for Tatum and Brown, similar to what he did for Young last season. Similar to Clarkson, he’s not the most skilled passer the world has ever seen, but his ability to knockdown shots from all over the floor could be the key to finally opening up this team’s offense.
Three-point shooting has been a key weakness for the Boston Celtics this season, and bringing Bogdanovic aboard would help remedy this issue to an extent. His shooting has definitely taken a steep dip this season, but he’s not alone in his struggles. If he finds his form again, Bogdanovic could develop into a three point weapon for the Celtics, making him the perfect fit alongside Tatum and Brown.