For the last nine years, Marcus Smart has embodied all things Boston Celtics basketball.
So when the news broke that he was being traded away from the organization on Wednesday night, he was understandably hurt.
An inside source told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe that Smart was “shocked” by the news.
“Marcus loves Boston. He thought he was going to retire there. He wanted to retire there,” the source said.
New: Sources said Marcus Smart was completely shocked by last night’s trade and is still trying to process it today.
“Marcus loves Boston. He thought he was going to retire there. He wanted to retire there.”https://t.co/J22eOZvpe5
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 22, 2023
Late last night, the Celtics, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a three-team trade that sent Smart to Memphis, Kristaps Porzingis to Boston and Tyus Jones to Washington.
Smart was selected by the Celtics with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Having played nine seasons and 581 games in Boston, he was the franchise’s longest tenured player.
Through 61 games this past season, Smart averaged 11.5 points and 6.3 assists per game — shooting 41.5% from the field and 33.6% from behind the three-point arc.