The Celtics are going in a new direction.
After a deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers collapsed late Wednesday night, the Celtics have pulled off a trade to send Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, as part of a three-team deal involving the Washington Wizards.
After Malcolm Brogdon was initially reported to be on the move in a deal that would bring Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, the Celtics quickly pivoted, bringing Smart's nine-year tenure in Boston to an end, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Here are the latest updates on the trade that will see the Celtics move in a different direction.
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Celtics receive:
Grizzlies receive:
Wizards receive:
Earlier on Wednesday night, the Celtics appeared to be close to completing a deal to send Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles, however, the Clippers' concerns surrounding the health of Brogdon eventually led to the deal falling through, as reported by NBA insider Marc Stein.
The Grizzlies acquire Smart knowing they'll be without suspended All-Star point guard Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 regular season.
The Celtics have been contenders in the East in recent seasons, coming off back-to-back trips to the Conference Finals, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2022, but have fallen short of their ultimate goal.
In acquiring Porzingis, Boston adds some genuine depth to their frontline, alongside Al Horford and Robert Williams III.
Meanwhile, for the Grizzlies. the presence of Smart in the backcourt gives them some much-needed cover, with All-Star point guard Ja Morant to be suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season.
Smart signed a four-year, $77 million contract extension with the Celtics in 2022.
HIs contract will take him through to the end of the 2025-26 season, where he will become an unrestricted free agent.
According to Spotrac, Smart's current contract will increase his career earnings to $142.6 million.