The Latest on Marcus Smart, Who Exited the Celtics-Spurs Game Due to a Knee Injury

A Marcus Smart update. Plus, evaluating whether it's best for the Celtics to keep Payton Pritchard as an insurance policy or trade him to upgrade their rotation.

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With just under eight minutes left in the third quarter of the Celtics' 121-116 win against the Spurs on Saturday, Zach Collins got whistled for an illegal screen against Marcus Smart.

Collins kneed Smart in the back of the latter's knee. It wasn't malicious, but it sent Smart to the floor. When he got up, he reached for the back of his knee. He then had to get helped down the tunnel.

Marcus Smart had to be helped back to the locker room after appearing to bump knees with Zach Collins while trying to get through a screen.

Prayers up for Marcus 🙏pic.twitter.com/1eQegcMcVT

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 8, 2023

The Celtics' initial determination is Smart has a left knee contusion. They listed him as doubtful to return, and he did not re-enter the game.

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Smart was limping in the locker room on the heels of the visitors' victory. Fortunately, Smart told Washburn his x-rays were negative. He'll have an MRI on Sunday, but he doesn't believe he sustained a significant injury.

"Yeah, I'm walking," said Smart, "but it's a slow walk."

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Whenever there's an injury scare involving one of Boston's guards, it's sure to make many of the Celtics fans in favor of trading Payton Pritchard re-evaluate whether it's more important to try to upgrade the rotation or keep him as an insurance policy.

As explained in a deeper dive into the situation Pritchard finds himself in, he's on a title contender with two guards, Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White, who are ahead of him on the depth chart and will come off the bench when/if Robert Williams returns to the starting lineup.

Furthermore, Brogdon and White can play on and off the ball, and they're under contract through 2025.

Pritchard's a rotation-caliber player who can operate as a team's backup point guard and, like the two mentioned above, can play effectively off the ball.

But Boston can maintain confidence in its rotation even if the Celtics lose one of their guards to injury and they've traded Pritchard for an upgrade at another position.

For those reasons, if there's an opportunity to add a quality three-point shooter with size, this author believes it's worth parting with Pritchard. 

Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps, a deal that brings Kelly Olynyk back to Boston. Olynyk is averaging 12 points while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and converting the 3.5 threes he hoists per game at a 40.2 percent clip.

He's also grabbing 4.9 rebounds, dishing out 3.2 assists, swiping 1.1 steals per contest, and swatting nearly a shot per game.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Another intriguing potential reunion would be with Jae Crowder, who remains separated from a Suns team that could use him in their rotation. Barring an unlikely resolution that keeps Crowder in the desert, expect him to get dealt by the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

However, along with Pritchard, Crowder figures to cost the Celtics a future first-round pick, which teams might not include in offers to acquire Olynyk.

Crowder's also less reliable from beyond the arc: he's a career 34.6 percent three-point shooter on 4.5 attempts.

In his last three seasons, which includes when he caught fire with the Heat in the bubble in Orlando, the only time he shot 40 percent or better from outside the arc, drilling 44.5 percent of the 6.4 threes he launched, Crowder's roughly league-average as a three-point shooter.

His 36 percent marksmanship is on a tick under six attempts per game, but a lower volume has yielded nearly each of Crowder's worst seasons from beyond the arc, per basketball-reference.com.

Still, the chance to add a league-average three-point shooter who's a gritty, physical defender is worth considering. 

Of course, a team able and willing to offer a first-round pick in this year's draft is in a more advantageous position than the Celtics, who parted with their 2023 round-one selection to help facilitate the trade for Brogdon. Doing so means Boston can't trade its 2024 first-round pick either because it would violate the Stepien Rule.

Further Reading

The Top 5 Plays from Saturday's Celtics-Spurs Game

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Spurs: Boston Never Trails but Has to Fend Off San Antonio in Game That Goes Down to the Wire

[Film Room] How the Celtics Limited Luka Doncic's Impact as a Scorer and Facilitator

Boston Fans Will Absolutely Love What Jaylen Brown Said Before Celtics-Mavericks Tilt

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. the Mavericks: Adhering to the Right Approach and Tatum's Triple Double Leads to 29-Point Victory

The Reasons Behind the Celtics Trading Noah Vonleh to the Spurs