Celtics' Bold Three-Team Trade Sends Shockwaves Through the League

• NBA

In a significant move that has shaken up the NBA landscape, the Boston Celtics, under the watchful eye of president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, have participated in a three-team trade. The trade sees the departure of Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis in Boston.

This move, according to Stevens, was about ensuring the balance of the team's roster. Speaking to reporters following the NBA draft, Stevens elucidated, "I said this at the start of the summer: I thought that we needed to balance our roster and make sure that we looked at the best ways to do that." Stevens further expressed that such balance often comes at a price, "And that meant that we were going to likely lose a really, really, really good player." The Celtics' focus on roster balance aimed at consolidating their team's overall performance.

They were prepared to make the tough decisions necessary to achieve this. "From our standpoint, we just looked at it as 'what's our best opportunity to continue to grow and improve as a team?'" Stevens explained. He acknowledged that difficult choices were necessary for the team's continued growth.

Adding Kristaps Porzingis to the roster, with his impressive skill, size, and versatility, provides the Celtics with much-needed depth in their roster.

Remembering Marcus Smart: A Legacy that Lives On

While Stevens understands the importance of the trade for the team's future, he didn't overlook the significant contributions of Marcus Smart, who was drafted by the Celtics as the 6th overall pick in 2014 and spent nine years with the team.

Stevens stated, "The greatest legacy that you can leave is to be someplace and it's better off because you were there." He conveyed that Smart will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Celtics' fraternity, not just for his hard work and contributions on the court, but also his community work off it.

"I think that he will always be appreciated and thought of so fondly here for any number of reasons. Obviously, everybody loved the way that he plays and how hard he plays, but also his work in the community. You know, we're all really grateful to have Marcus in our life for as long as we've had and are sad to see him go."