BOSTON — Brad Stephens hit the floor of the Auerbach Center shortly before 2 a.m., minutes after completing the trade call that officially ended Marcus Smart’s time with the Celtics after nearly a decade with the team. Emotional, but reserved, Stevens explained the difficult decision as a necessary one while avoiding allusions to cultural dynamics.
“It (the farewell) wasn’t very long,” Stevens said. “It was your best chance to share your gratitude with him, and I think because of these things and the sensitivity and the number of people who talk about him and the wild speculation when something happens, it’s hard to digest and hard to process. He actually came this morning, so I had a chance to see him this morning. It wouldn’t be About a guy that you really love every single day, but that you will always enjoy the relationship that you have in your teammates, those coaches, that will go on forever in the organization. Then, when you go to a new place, you build a new place and multiply your network. That’s just kind of the way with which he works.”
Stephens acknowledged Smart’s contributions to the organization, emphasizing that he had changed it upon his arrival while not growing affection for a move in which he believed so strongly. The acquisition of Kristaps Porziņģis stemmed from Stevens’ desire to strengthen the forward field and withdraw from a position of strength at guard. Malcolm Brogdon stayed on after reports indicated that the initial framework of the deal included a move to the Clippers, which collapsed shortly before the player option deadline for Borzies. Stevens didn’t discuss the missing Los Angeles deal, but acknowledged the need to always know all the options available.
This one proved painful for a portion of the fanbase that viewed him as an indispensable part of the team’s culture. Others considered the effect all-consuming, and Stephens sat among them while thanking Smart for his service. Stevens noted that Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, and Al Horford, among others, could make up for Smart’s loss in a committee leadership environment, while downplaying any notion that the locker room needs a message or change.
“I don’t really look at it that way,” Stevens said. “I think everyone will be asked, as they do every summer, to improve, grow and develop and be willing to contribute to the role they are ultimately called upon to play. From our perspective, we looked at it as ‘what is the best opportunity for us to continue to grow and improve as a team? Knowing that sometimes, really tough decisions have to be made. As I said, not only did Kristaps add on with his skill, size and positional versatility, we had more numbers and options in the smaller positions than we had in the seniors, especially as we also look ahead. I thought it was a good thing to do, but it’s hard to do.”
Porziņģis’ targeting cemented a center Stevens enjoyed seeing teams play through, seeing multiple Celtics stadium centers at the same time the team played at its best in recent years. He had yet to meet Borzez in person, who expressed his excitement at the opportunity on social media after the trade was announced.
The Celtics hope to keep him long-term once he becomes eligible for a July 6 extension of two years, $77 million. Stephens saw a player continue to progress through his final stop in Washington, once a mainstay as a captain. Nix A lottery pick before injuries and a New York front-office overhaul led him to Dallas in a blockbuster trade after missing 2019. His years regularly spent on the sidelines trickled into a relatively healthy 2023 with the Wizards.
“(Burzies) is a guy who we definitely think is a really good player,” Stephens said. “He’s been a really good player so far, and he’s only gotten better. For me, that’s the part that really stands out. Sometimes when you’re the fourth pick in the draft and you get all those trophies and all this attention and all these eyes, and you’re going through your growth process, there’s Some ups and downs, it got to a point where I started playing at the best level I’ve seen.”
Porziņģis’ trade also involved Boston acquiring the No. 25 pick from Memphis for Smart, who was systematically traded back from the Celtics three times before sending the No. 39 pick to Atlanta for 2,027 seconds. Boston drafted Jordan Walsh, a freshman from Arkansas, 38th overall, allowing him to go into a projected second-round exception. Stevens and the Celtics did it twice before the draft and made a short list of players who would enjoy being drafted, able to make up for a capital loss in the second round and go out with a player they love.
Boston received a 2025 second round pick (likely better than GSW or WAS), 2026 second round (best NYK, MIN, POR, NOLA) and 2024 Dallas round. Stevens aims to replenish his increasingly valuable second-round picks, who are expected to get an exception in the new CBA. That has allowed the Celtics to keep their mediocre exception alive this summer by staying far enough below the second apron line, a tool Boston may or may not use, he said.
“(Walsh) is a good prospect, he’s young,” Stevens said. “We don’t expect him to come in and attack the world in the first two months, summer league, first year. He has a special ability laterally, with his wings to swallow people defensively.”
Stephens has spoken of Payton Pritchard and Derrick White as a tandem capable of moving the backfield into the future beyond Smart. It included Brogdon, who is recovering well from a tear in his right arm without surgery so far, but left open a surgical option if Brogdon decided to treat it in this way. The Celtics have expected Brogdon to be on the floor for the season, and appear to be in favor of the non-surgical approach recommended by Boston doctors.
Charles Lee and Sam Cassel arrived at the Celtics facility this week and began meeting their new teammates. Other additions to the squad, including Phil Pressey and Amile Jefferson, were reported pending confirmation while Stevens admitted Ben Sullivan had left the coaching staff. He also confirmed that the decisions were those of Joe Mazola, not his own.
Jason Tatum became the first former teammate of Smart to react to the guard’s exit before the teams announced the deal on Friday. He told Smart to never change in an Instagram post, calling him irreplaceable and promising to reunite with him in the future to win a tournament.
“She doesn’t compare (one guard) to another, or whatever the case may be,” Stevens said. “The way this deal came about and the way it gave us a chance to balance our roster, as painful as it was to break up with Marcus, was something we felt we had to do.”