Going forward, the Boston Celtics will have limited alternatives for adding to their current roster. Among the few possibilities available to them, they could choose Santi Aldama, one of Marcus Smart’s former Celtics colleagues.
In an April 19 post, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale highlighted why the Celtics should chase the Memphis Grizzlies’ big man. He also outlined how a trade would operate.
“He will make a hair less than (Jaden) Springer, and Boston could use a combo big to back up—and serve as insurances against injuries to Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis.
“Aldama will cost more in total assets than Xavier Tillman (a free agent this summer). That’s fine. Boston has an armory of seconds, not to mention some firsts, (that) it can dangle. His prospective fit is good enough to contemplate giving up No. 30 as part of any package, even as he enters a contract year. Aldama is pretty good at positioning himself in the right spots on defense, his three-point clip will tick up above 35 percent on the Celtics, and he has some shiftiness to him off the dribble.”
The Celtics already acquired one of Smart’s teammates in Memphis, Tillman, at the deadline. If Tillman leaves in the offseason, Aldama might be worth looking into.
Marcus Smart Trade Called ‘Biggest Regret’ by Analyst
Though trading Smart for Porzingis worked out great for the Celtics, it didn’t turn out the same with Memphis. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes explained why he sees acquiring Smart as Memphis’ “biggest regret” this season.
“After a snakebit season in which none of the Grizzlies’ best-case scenarios came true, the trade that brought Smart on board appears to be a disaster. He played only 20 games and was unable to assist Memphis avoid one of the league’s most dismal seasons,” Hughes wrote in an April 16 article.
What makes the trade appear worse from Memphis’ perspective is who they gave up to obtain Smart.
“Tyus Jones was traded to the Washington Wizards in the three-team deal that landed Smart, and the Grizzlies’ prior backup point guard shot 41.4 percent from deep and topped the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for the sixth straight season. He was arguably a better caretaker in Morant’s absence than Smart, even if the latter was healthy.”
Hughes noted that Smart’s rough style should have made the Grizzlies understand that “missed time should have been the expectation.”
Luke Kornet Predicted to Reunite With Marcus Smart
Several Celtics players, including Tillman and Luke Kornet, will be available for free agency. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report highlighted why it is in the Celtics’ best interest to keep him, but he is not optimistic that he will.
“He’s someone the Celtics should want to keep. The question is, can they afford him? They’ll be in the second tier next season, so they’ll have to be careful with their money, especially when it comes to building a roster around their great players. Kornet is useful to have, but is he necessary? That probably depends on how the market perceives him.
