In recent days, the Boston Celtics have been linked to becoming the new recipient in the Ben Simmons drama. Brad Stevens and Daryl Morey have had conversations that would send disgruntled forward Simmons to the Celtics for a large haul. It has been rumored that both Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart would be a part of the deal.
Boston is starting the season off poorly, as the team currently sits at a 4-6 record. As the 11th seed, the team has been butting heads on and off the court. Just last week, Smart went to reporters to take some steam off after a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls. In this interview, he said that both Brown and Jayson Tatum needed to learn how to pass the ball. Later saying that he is just here to play basketball. Indicating that Smart is frustrated with how the Celtics are at this point in the season.
Disgruntled Stars
After these comments, during the team’s road trip to Florida, the players had a players-only meeting. This meeting was to discuss the team’s current play, attitude, and future. Players stayed after a team dinner to discuss their current situation. By the end of the meeting, most players were on the same page. At first, it looked as though things were good as Boston beat the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat easily.
Smart and Tatum hashed things out almost immediately after his comments. However, Brown and Smart have yet to make amends from his comments. When the Simmons trade rumor came out early this week, the details of Brown and Smart being included dropped. Within the franchise, both Smart and Brown are unhappy. According to a close source, Smart is being shopped by Stevens. Although Smart and Brown have not formally requested a trade, Stevens will be listening to calls.
Trade Rumors
With that said, it is hard to see a Simmons for Brown trade to go through anytime soon. Stevens and the franchise will try everything to hash things out with Brown. He is a rising star in the NBA and the team has done everything to make the forward happy. Brown will be a key part of the Celtics’ future championship runs. The forward is having another career year, and although the team is struggling as a whole, Brown is individually succeeding. Averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, Brown has emerged as an All-NBA caliber player. It would be ridiculous to field offers at this time as this is only the first month of the team being fully together.
It is unlikely that Brown will be moved unless a once-in-a-lifetime trade is offered. Stevens wouldn’t trade Smart anytime soon, as Stevens wants to keep him on the team. The problem that could happen while trading Smart is that other franchises do not have the same high value of the guard as the Celtics do. Smart is a grit and grind type player, a high-energy player that can do a bit of everything. Stevens values Smart at a very high level, as he should as the guard is capable of playing any role asked of him. Around the league, many teams only value smart for a late first-round pick or swapped for another role player.
During the offseason, the team traded for Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Richardson. At first, it seemed the trade was made to bolster the rotation. But in recent news, the trade was made for a possible replacement in the off chance Smart was traded. It seems that this has been forthcoming for months and the team has been preparing to part ties with the guard. Although nothing is certain in the NBA, Stevens will try to keep the disgruntled guard around as he has mentioned that Smart should be part of the future.
Continuing Forward
However, if the team continues to trend downward some deals will have to be done. Philadelphia is trying to trade Simmons to Boston, in exchange for both Brown and Smart. Although conversations are still ongoing, and the exact offer has yet to be released the trade seems to just be another talking stage. It is unlikely Stevens trades away Brown for a player like Simmons. Boston already struggles with consistent shooting. Adding Simmons would not help the team offensively, compared to the likes of Brown.
The season is still young, and the team could hit a stride to make a run for a deep playoff run. Every competitive team has these types of moments, and once the winning streaks start to accumulate everything in the past becomes irrelevant. Ime Udoka and Stevens will be waiting for this slump to end, before making changes to the roster. Both Brown and Smart will eventually make amends, and the team can move on from this divide.
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