Memphis Grizzlies Secure Marcus Smart in a Three-Team Deal with Kristaps Porzingis and Tyus Jones

Late Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies reached an agreement on a three-team trade, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The trade involves several players and draft picks changing hands.

According to sources, the trade details are as follows: The Celtics will acquire center Kristaps Porzingis, the Grizzlies will receive guard Marcus Smart, and the Wizards will obtain guard Tyus Jones. In addition, the Celtics will receive Memphis’ first-round pick in the upcoming draft (25th overall) and the Golden State Warriors’ top-four-protected first-round pick in 2024. The Celtics will send the 35th pick in the draft to the Wizards. Furthermore, the Celtics will trade forward Danilo Gallinari and center Mike Muscala to the Wizards.

The trade was finalized just before the midnight ET deadline for Porzingis to exercise his $36 million player option for the 2023-24 season. With the deal completed, Porzingis opted to stay with the Celtics.

The trade comes after a day of negotiations between the Celtics and Wizards, initially involving the LA Clippers in a potential three-team deal. However, when that agreement fell apart, the Celtics shifted their focus to Memphis, leading to the finalized trade.

For the Celtics, this trade marks a significant change in their team composition and strategy. The addition of Porzingis alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will provide a new offensive dimension for the team. Additionally, the Celtics secure two first-round draft picks in the process.

This trade is the first major decision for the Celtics this offseason, as they have other important matters to address, such as offering a contract extension to All-Star forward Jaylen Brown and resolving the situation with restricted free agent forward Grant Williams.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies gain a valuable player in Smart, known for his defensive skills and versatility. He will greatly contribute to their defensive efforts and can assume the starting point guard role while Ja Morant serves his suspension in the early part of the season.

As for the Wizards, they acquire Tyus Jones, who is expected to step into the starting point guard position. This trade follows another significant move by the Wizards, as they recently traded Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and several draft picks.

Furthermore, sources reveal that Washington forward Kyle Kuzma has declined his player option, making him an unrestricted free agent and adding to the team’s offseason decisions.