NBA Insider Assumes Boston Celtics Will Make Another Move

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated spoke about the Boston Celtics in an appearance on The Herd with Collin Cowherd.

The Boston Celtics have been among the elite teams in the NBA over the last seven seasons.

In that period, they have made the Eastern Conference Finals five times and the NBA Finals once.  

That said, they have been unable to win an NBA Championship since 2008, when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were still on the roster.  

This week, the team pulled off a blockbuster deal to acquire 2018 NBA All-Star Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade that also included the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies.  

As part of the deal, they gave up veteran guard Marcus Smart, who had spent his entire 9-year career with Boston. 

Full trade details 🚨

Celtics receive:
- Kristaps Porziņģis
- 2023 No. 25 pick (via MEM)
- 2024 GSW first-round pick (via MEM)

Grizzlies receive:
- Marcus Smart

Wizards receive:
- Tyus Jones
- Danilo Gallinari
- Mike Muscala
- 2023 No. 35 pick (via BOS)

(via @wojespn) pic.twitter.com/zjCbBBq4fM

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 22, 2023

Recently, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated appeared on The Herd with Collin Cowherd and spoke about the Celtics (following the trade).

Mannix on The Herd: "I think there still is another deal to come for the Celtics, because they can't go into next season with the backcourt they currently have in place."  

Smart finished this past year with averages of 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 41.5% from the field. 

Outside of Smart, no one on the team averaged more than 4.6 assists. 

Brad Stevens on trading Marcus Smart: "There's a lot of emotion attached... he's really beloved here"

Catch Brad's full interview with @chrisforsberg_ here ⬇️

🎧 https://t.co/cL9pCxadaR
📺 https://t.co/rucIzA0Bwu pic.twitter.com/LCLAgnsKQM

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 23, 2023

The Celtics currently have Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard as the guards on their roster. 

Brogdon, who is coming off a season where he won the 2023 6th Man of The Year Award, was reportedly almost traded to the Los Angeles Clippers (but Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that the Clippers had "concerns" regarding "Brogdon's injury status.")

Concerns raised by the Clippers about Malcolm Brogdon's injury status, league sources say, led to the collapse of the three-team trade expected to send Kristaps Porzingis to Boston before midnight tonight.

A direct Wizards/Celtics deal has not been ruled out.

More NBA from me:

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 22, 2023

More on the Boston Celtics can be read here