What's next for the Celtics after Porzingis-Smart blockbuster
BOSTON -- Kristaps Porzingis is indeed a Celtic after a three-team trade fell apart late in the evening. But now, Marcus Smart is not.
The heart and soul of the team is heading to Memphis, where he'll have to find a new color to dye his hair. It has the majority of Celtics fans in mourning, wondering what is next for the team after such a seismic trade. Porzingis adds more offensive firepower and depth in the frontcourt, but the Celtics are losing a lot of heart and leadership in sending Smart out of town.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Celtics as we hit the morning of the NBA Draft, and not a lot of answers. But Brad Stevens isn't done this offseason, with a lot of work still to do to fortify Boston as a title favorite next season.
What's the depth chart look like now?
Guards: Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard
Wings: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser
Bigs: Kristaps Porzingis, Robert Williams, Al Horford, Luke Kornet (non-guaranteed contract)
The Celtics should be able to add a talented player with the 25th pick on Thursday (or even better, if they can move up on the draft board), but they will have some seriously limited funds to add via free agency. If Grant Williams departs via restricted free agency, then the C's would have the $5 million midlevel exception to sign someone.
Point guard and frontcourt depth are the biggest needs at the moment, and the C's could also use another wing player to play behind the Jays.
Pritchard, Hauser, and whoever else they add during the offseason are in line for important roles on the Celtics next season.
Who starts at point guard?
With Smart gone, the Celtics have a big question mark at starting point guard. Malcolm Brogdon would make sense, but no one knows how much time he'll miss with his forearm injury. If the L.A. Clippers weren't willing to take him on, then he must be seriously injured because the Clippers absolutely LOVE acquiring injured players.
Derrick White could potentially handle the point guard duties, but it would make a little more sense to grab another floor general given the cloud of uncertainty around Brogdon's injury. That could come in the draft on Thursday night, or it could be a veteran via free agency. Stevens should be considering all options at this point.
At the moment, White feels like the best option at point guard with Pritchard playing an elevated role until Brogdon is healthy.
Where's the toughness?
Smart brought a lot of grit and toughness to the floor for Boston. He ran like he was angry at the floorboards and dove for loose balls like his life depended on it.
Does anyone else on the team possess those attributes? We're not really sure.
Jaylen Brown is a tough dude but he doesn't always play tough. Jayson Tatum is more of a silent, lead-by-example kind of guy. Same goes for Al Horford, though he has shown toughness and leadership when something needed to be said. (Mostly to Giannis.) Derrick White is also one of those strong and silent types.
But no one did it like Smart. And with the Celtics also likely losing Grant Williams this offseason, they're going to have to find someone else who is willing to muck it up and draw a charge.
