04 July 2023 , 16:54
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Marcus Smart says the Boston Celtics were not truthful with him about his future after he was blindsided by a trade to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the year was shipped out of Massachusetts in a three-team trade last month that saw the Celtics acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards.
Smart, 29, says he was left shocked when he learned he was no longer a member of the Celtics, insisting he had received assurances from general manager Brad Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla that he was not on the trade block.
Yet on June 22, he was informed his future was in Tennessee after nine seasons with the Celtics, where he had matured into the role as the team's emotional leader and an effective facilitator for star men Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
After those years of service to the franchise, which included playoff appearances in every season and a trip to the NBA finals in 2022, Smart believes he deserved complete honesty from the team about his future, knowing the team was likely to make moves after losing to the underdog Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in May.
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“I went to the gym next day (after the trade) to get my stuff, talked to Brad and Joe,” Smart told CLNS Media. “It was definitely shocking to find out that way, especially because the week before, I was already told we were good, there were no trade talks with me and we were good.
"I understand the business side of it, I’ve always been like that. I’m the first one to tell anyone, you can’t mix personal with business, it just doesn’t mix. I understand it’s a business. For me, it’s just the courtesy. They probably already knew they were thinking about trading me, they had this trade in their back pocket just in case something else didn’t happen.
Marcus Smart believes his Boston Celtics exit was handled poorly. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)"And for me, it’s just the simple fact, 'Hey, we’re thinking about trading you, most likely we’ll trade you, just letting you know, thank you'. Especially with telling me the week before, my house flooding and having to deal with that. It was a whole lot at once."
Looking ahead, Smart's hard-working style will fit in nicely with the Grizzlies' identity and they will hope he can mentor star point guard Ja Morant, who is suspended for the first 25 games of the regular season after flashing a gun on social media for the second time this year in May.
An exciting new chapter awaits Smart, but it will not be easy to move on after becoming embedded in the city of Boston and the Celtics organisation.
"I love this team, I love this organization, I love the fans and the support I’ve gotten for my nine years," he added. "I’m excited and energetic to start my new life with the Grizzlies.”