With the shocking news this morning that Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is stepping down and being replaced with head coach Brad Stevens, NBA fans have begun to expect that there will be significant roster turnover in Boston. While All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are likely untouchable, the rest of the roster could be shuffled this offseason. In light of his recent injuries and poor performance going back to the playoffs last season, Boston will likely trade Kemba Walker to shed his massive contract. The Celtics’ other guard, Marcus Smart, was very productive this season. However, his contract only has one year left, and Boston seems reluctant to pay him. So, should the Bulls give Brad Stevens a call?
Could Marcus Smart Be The Answer?
Well, the short answer is yes. Marcus Smart would be a fantastic fit on this Bulls team. He’s everything the Bulls are looking for in a starting guard. He’s an excellent defender who would mask Zach LaVine’s defensive limitations. His basketball IQ is through the roof. With Kemba Walker’s absence early this season, Smart took on more of a point guard role (he had been more of a shooting guard for Boston in the last few years) and averaged 5.7 assists per game. He also averaged a career-high 13.1 points per game this season, which shows that the 27-year-old Smart may still be improving as a player. Finally, being with Boston for his whole career means that Smart has played in plenty of big games, and he’s shined in those games. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, he recorded a 23-point triple-double. Though the Celtics lost that game (thanks, Kemba), it highlighted Smart’s ability to show up in big games.
Smart does, however, have a few limitations. He has a 77.7 career FT%, though that number’s improved since he entered the league. Also, though his three-point shooting has improved since he entered the league, Smart may have become a little too confident in his shot. Despite only making 33% of his threes this season, he sometimes chucked up bad shots despite being, at best, the third option on his team. However, these problems are small when compared to the upside Smart would bring to this Bulls team.
Let’s talk a bit more about Smart’s fit on the Bulls. He would instantly be inserted into Chicago’s starting lineup alongside Zach LaVine. Smart gives the Bulls a tough hustle player, something all good teams have but Chicago’s roster currently lacks outside of Ryan Arcidiacono (who could have his $3M team option declined by Chicago this offseason). Though he’s not by any means a stud point guard, Smart would give the Bulls the facilitator they so desperately needed this season. His defense would give the Bulls another stud defender alongside 2020 first-round pick Patrick Williams. A starting lineup that includes Smart, LaVine, Williams, and trade deadline acquisition Nikola Vučević would compete for a top-4 seed in the East.
The problem with acquiring Marcus Smart would be finding the assets necessary to pry him from Boston. The Bulls traded their first-round draft picks in 2021 and 2023 to the Orlando Magic as part of the Vučević trade, and due to the Stepien Rule, they can’t trade another until 2025. Additionally, Chicago lacks trade assets outside of Coby White, Tomáš Satoranský, Thaddeus Young, and a Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade. The Bulls would probably want to keep Young, as he provides veteran leadership and was a constant triple-double threat either off the bench or in the starting lineup for the Bulls this season. He’s an extremely valuable player for a team trying to compete for a championship. In light of this, the Bulls would likely have to include the other three assets I named as part of a Smart trade.
But why would the Celtics want anything to do with those players? Well, Coby White is a young combo guard who has a consistent outside shot. Satoranský has had an up-and-down Bulls tenure but is a solid guard off the bench. If Boston were to acquire both guards from Chicago, one of them would likely be shipped out in a trade, as they don’t need that many guards. A Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade would give Boston a player who hit 40% of his threes on almost six attempts per game this season. The Celtics could also believe that, with the right coaching, the 7-foot-tall Markkanen could unlock his potential as a dominant big man with a consistent outside shot. Markkanen lacked aggressiveness at times this season, but since he’s only 24, he still has time to develop. Boston’s series against the Nets showed, among other things, that the Celtics desperately need a star big, and there’s an above-average chance Markkanen develops into that.
The Bulls will have to put together a competitive offer for Smart, as many teams with playoff aspirations will likely vie for his services. But with the assets I named, Chicago could realistically pull off a trade for Smart, which would turn the Bulls into a true playoff threat in the Eastern Conference.
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Stats via Basketball Reference
Special thanks to All Around Designs for making the Marcus Smart edit as soon as the Celtics news broke out.