The Boston Celtics have already made significant moves to maneuver under the dreaded second apron, and now they could look to bolster their depth with cost-effective contracts.
After trading away Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in June, the Celtics will likely be in the market for affordable depth pieces behind Derrick White and Anfernee Simons.
According to Vishwesha Kumar of Yardbarker, Marcus Smart could be a potential target amid speculation that the Washington Wizards are exploring a buyout.
“Smart would provide much-needed leadership, defense, and familiarity at a team-friendly deal," Kumar wrote. “His return would energize the fan base and stabilize a locker room that’s lost much of its core.”
The Celtics traded Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in June 2023 as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, who was recently traded to the Atlanta Hawks in another cost-cutting move. Smart was later dealt to Washington in February 2025, and with the Wizards seemingly focused on a youth movement, a buyout with Smart appears realistic.
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Smart could serve as a mentor to Boston’s younger players — including Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez — while appealing to a fan base whose team appears to be moving away from title contention.
The veteran guard is on an expiring $21.6 million contract and has reportedly drawn little interest on the trade market because of it. However, if bought out, multiple teams would likely jump at the chance to sign him to a low-cost pact.
The 31-year-old appeared in just 34 regular-season games between Memphis and Washington in 2024-25, averaging 9.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 39.3 percent from the field across 20.0 minutes per contest.
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