Late Wednesday evening, the Celtics sent shockwaves throughout the Boston area when they agreed to trade long-time guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that returned forward Kristaps Porzingis and two first round picks.
Being a Celtics fan and from the area it’s tough to see Smart go - but being a Patriots writer and reporter, it’s hard to internalize exactly what this trade means. So I asked Twitter for some help:
Is there a Patriots equivalent to the Marcus Smart trade?
Not only was Marcus Smart the longest tenured Celtic on the roster by a wide margin, but he also was the core culture builder of this Boston team. His moxie, tenacity, and overall love for not only the city but winning for the city - are what made him a fan favorite in the area.
gresh and fauria: How trading Marcus Smart could impact the Celtics locker room
So how does this compare to New England’s legends on the football field? Here are some answers:
Lawyer Milloy
Safety Lawyer Milloy who, like Smart, also wore #36, was a tone and culture setter for the Patriots in the late-90s. Ahead of Bill Belichick’s first season in New England, the 1999 first-team All-Pro signed a seven-year, $35 million contract, making him the highest paid safety in the league.
He was cut just two years later.
Much like the Celtics are doing with Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon, the Patriots opted to moved forward with the likes of Rodney Harrison in their secondary. A move that turned out better than expected for New England.
Julian Edelman
This one’s more like it. A culture guy that lays it out on the field and at times played well above his skillset.
Edelman loved New England just like Marcus did. Edelman’s “Foxboro Forever” mantra (and subsequent clothing line) is a prime example of what this region meant to the Califonia kid for so long.
That’s the problem with this comparison: Edelman was never traded, and will be a Patriot for life - something we now can't say about Smart with the Celtics.
Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour was taken sixth overall by the Patriots in the 2001 draft and played eight highly productive seasons with New England.
With the three-time All-Pro heading into a contract year, the Pats traded him to the Raiders in 2009 for a 2011 first round pick. It was reported that Seymour felt “blindsided” by the trade.
Cut to 2023:
Marcus Smart was taken sixth overall by the Celtics in the 2014 draft and played nine highly productive seasons with Boston.
After winning the 2021 NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and coming off of hus second consecutive NBA Hustle Award, the Celtics traded Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was reported by Shams Charania that Smart: didn't see that trade coming” and that “the team notified him maybe 10-15 minutes before.”
I’d say this one is a decent comparison.
Tom Brady
Okay lets slow down.
Yes, Brady was the most beloved Patriot ever and left (sort of?) unexpectedly prior to the 2020 NFL season, but this is where the comparisons get ridiculous.
Brady is the undisputed GOAT of his sport. While Smart is an excellent defender and has improved tremendously over the course of his career on offense, it's not fair to compare him to Brady.
You're lying to yourself if you say you feel the same gut punch now as you did when Brady left. A classic case of recency bias.
This experiment taught me two things: 1) Don’t cross sports in this industry and 2) it’s a nearly impossible task to compare what Marcus Smart brought to the Celtics over the last eight seasons.
They may have not won a title and he may not have been the easiest player to root for on the court, but Smart brought a different playstyle that, although rubbed some the wrong way at times, will be tough to replicate moving forward.
Oh, and he absolutely loved the city of Boston.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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