Report: Atlanta Hawks discussed swapping Marcus Smart for Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish; will take ‘significant value’ to move Boston guard
The Boston Celtics have been by all accounts busy on the phones looking for potential trades to make the team better ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, and Marcus Smart has reportedly been one of the more common names mentioned in such calls, per multiple accounts.
One such instance was reported by Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, who relates his sources as saying that before “Atlanta sent (Cam) Reddish to New York, the Hawks and Celtics discussed a framework that would have swapped Marcus Smart for Kevin Heurter and Reddish”. Fischer adds that it is “unclear how far that dialogue progressed.”
“It’s a few weeks before the deadline, so it seems only fitting that Marcus Smart’s name has once again percolated in trade talk,” explains the B/R reporter, which makes sense given he’s Boston’s best movable talent for a franchise widely seen as likely to be active at the deadline.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Swartz projects a potentially active field for the Celtics ahead of the deadline. https://t.co/VG8QcOB4HP
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 27, 2022
“But it will take significant value in return, sources said, for Boston to ever part with Smart,” he notes, which makes sense given how much better the team has played when the Flower Mound native has played this season.
“There’s still a sense around the league that a healthy Celtics unit could fare far better down the stretch of this regular season than Boston’s early growing pains under head coach Ime Udoka have so far produced.”
It sounds like Boston is looking to make changes in its frontcourt rotation. https://t.co/UWpNbMAC7Q
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 27, 2022
It is not just Smart’s name in the rumor mill of players from the Celtics roster who the team is inquiring about the value of, however, according to Fischer.
“Al Horford’s name has been mentioned more often in trade conversations this week. The 35-year-old has just $14.5 million of next season’s $26.5 million salary guaranteed for any team in search of upcoming cap relief, but there would seem to be a limited market for the veteran center.”
“Dennis Schroder and Aaron Nesmith continued to be labeled as likely trade candidates by league personnel as well,” writes the reporter. “Getting out of the tax appears to remain a key goal for Boston.”
The fit is sound, but would it make both teams better? https://t.co/nCe9zXgFfg
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 27, 2022
There may be worlds in which the Celtics do indeed stay above the tax line if a deal materializes that would substantially improve the team for a reasonable cost.
But given the rarity of such trades and the evident appearance of the franchise to have eyes for such a cap-oriented move, expect any such trades to be those not adding but rather subtract from the team’s payroll by Feb. 10.
That does not rule out substantial changes by any means, but it does shape the parameters in which they might take place in considerably.
Boston coach Ime Udoka shared an update on the new Celtics. https://t.co/Zm80Ms7XEL
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 27, 2022
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