The Washington Wizards have several players in the NBA rumor mill. With several players possibly being dealt soon, Marcus Smart seems to be first. Per NBA Insider Matt Moore, the Wizards have officially been shopping Smart around. Washington reportedly wants to send him to a contender. For Smart, that is the best way forward if he wants to compete for a title.
Marcus Smart Officially on Trade Block
It’s not a surprise that Smart has been shopped around. He is a valuable asset on defense, and he has an overlooked offensive game that could help some contenders build depth. A Marcus Smart trade wouldn’t be a blockbuster deal like the Desmond Bane trade, but it would be Washington’s first deal this offseason and a sign of more to come.
Smart’s Offensive Game
Smart is known for his defensive abilities around the league. However, Smart’s offensive game is vastly overlooked. While he didn’t play much for the Wizards this season, his numbers are a surprising sign of growth.
He shot a career-high from the field at 44%, and a career-high of 39.2% from three. It’s impressive that a well-known defensive player can still show signs of offensive improvement even later in his career. He also tied his career-low for turnovers at 1.3 a game. While most teams won’t look too heavily into the offensive side of the ball when trading for Smart, it’s still worth noting.
Smart has never been a huge piece on the offensive end for any team he’s played for. Not once in his career has he shot over 45% or averaged more than 15 points. However, these numbers indicate growth later in his career. While his offensive game may be growing, his defense has always been his strength.
Smart’s Defensive Game
The former Defensive Player of the Year is still a productive defender. He averaged 1.1 steals across the 15 games he played in Washington this season. Smart posted an impressive 107.3 defensive rating this past season. Additionally, Smart provides highly versatile defense. Smart also wouldn’t be a starter, most likely playing around 15-20 minutes a game. Not much has changed for Smart on the defensive end. However, his injuries and health might make a deal harder to get done.
Smart’s Health
Stats aside, a player who is looking to contribute to a contending team must stay healthy. For Smart, the injury bug has hit him in recent years, hurting his value. In his Boston days, Smart played over half the games every season and only had one season under 50 games played. Fast forward to now, and he’s only played 54 games in the last two seasons. If a Smart trade were to happen, teams would need to have a backup plan in place if Smart were to go out. Hopefully, under the right training conditions and a nice long offseason, Smart can get back to being healthy.
His value has no doubt taken a hit for the time being. However, if Smart and the Wizards can prove that he is healthy and the injury concerns are not as vibrant, there will be a plethora of teams calling. Most likely, Smart will get moved during either free agency or draft night, barring Washington deciding to keep him around longer than expected.
The Last Word
Smart can still be a reliable rotational piece for a contending team. With the draft coming up, some teams may be interested in grabbing him in exchange for some low picks or to make a big package for a higher pick. Smart still has plenty left to give on the basketball court. With him improving his shot-making at the tail-end of this season, plus still being a quality defender, some contenders may try to grab him.
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