Marcus Smart Would Have Made Same Choice as Celtics but Shares What Bothered Him About Trade

The former Boston Celtic spoke on the emotions of the blockbuster trade again in a presser before his return to Boston.

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart made his return to TD Garden on Sunday night, where he once again described the feeling of the blockbuster trade. He shared his thoughts and emotions, as the major shocks and sensations still remain. They were radiated throughout the city, the arena, and all of the Boston Celtics fans in the building through each moment.

Smart's wedding in September was a final goodbye to the team's heart and soul. He talked about moving on from Boston and how unexpected the transition was.

“Like I said, between getting married and the wedding and everything personally I've been dealing with, it’s helped me cope," Smart said. "It definitely hurt, but it didn't hurt as hard as I thought it would because of that. Like I said, I understand business, and I understand this business. And I tell people to this day, if it was me, I make the same business decision as well."

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year just explained how he just wishes there was some sort of heads up sent his way before that midnight blockbuster at the end of June.

"All I ask was that, you know, you could have gave a heads up, or just a simple, ‘Hey, you’ve been here nine years; we just want to let you know, this is what's going on. Perfect,'" he said. "You know, at the end of the day, I'm a businessman as well. So that's what it was; the hurt really come from, you know, but like I said, I was able to keep my mind off of it. There's no ill will towards the organization, towards my teammates, towards the coaching staff; I love everybody. And I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to play with those guys."

Smart talked about any difficulty in coming to terms with the fact that he wanted to be part of the success the Celtics are having and wanted to win a championship with that group:

“Oh, of course," he said. "I mean, when you come that close, you know, and then you have to leave, anybody in this position would definitely—it'd be hard to fathom that and try to get to wrap your head around it. But at the end of the day, like I said, it doesn't stop how I feel about those guys. And just as much as I think I deserve it, they deserve it as much as well. So that's why I say I am ecstatic for those guys, because they've worked just as hard. And they deserve it just as much as I do.”

The love will forever erupt when Smart plays in Boston for the rest of his career, as the Celtics will have to wait to see him again until next season.