Marcus Smart isn’t worth Golden State Warriors’ 2020 first-round pick

The Golden State Warriors have a $17 million trade exception to use this offseason and Marcus Smart would be a great addition at the right price.

Something has been lacking from the Golden State Warriors and it’s more than just the health of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Even at full strength, they’re still going to be missing that Andre Iguodala-like player.

That’s why with their $17 million trade exception that they obtained from trading Iggy to the Memphis Grizzlies (he’s now on the Miami Heat), the Warriors need to find a player that can fill his shoes for the seeable future.

While there are numerous options, not of all them would give Golden State the gritty, defensive-minded tenacity they need. That player, among potential candidates, could easily be Boston Celtics’ guard Marcus Smart.

Smart isn’t the best basketball player on the planet, but no one tells that to him that. He has a character that when he steps on the court he’s the best, and he’s going to play like it. He’s a Patrick Beverley-type player when it comes to his non-stop motor.

And, he adds shooting, something that the Warriors crave when they decide to go small with Draymond Green or Eric Paschall at center. Curry, Thompson, Green, Wiggins, and Smart would be a lethal combination.

This season, Smart is averaging a career-high 13.5 points and 2.4 threes per game. A staple for one of the best teams in the East, a potential trade to Golden State was first brought up by Hardwood Houdini’s Andrew Hughes.

However, the return is what everyone should consider when thinking about a deal for Smart, the quintessential Iguodala replacement. Hughes notes that the Warriors’ 2020 first-round pick could be the piece to lure the Celtics into dealing Smart, but that’s just not the case.

That pick will be either spent on Anthony Edwards or dealt for significantly more than a player like Smart.

But, it’d be interesting if the Celtics may be intrigued by the Warriors’ 2021 pick along with one or two future second-round, having acquired a good load of second-round picks prior to the February 6 trade deadline.

Although the Celtics are seven points better with Smart on the court and he has a proven track record of helping teams succeed, there’s no denying a trade for the team’s projected top-three pick is not in the Warriors’ future.

It’s a good idea and certainly has potential as an offseason trade, but the two sides likely will never agree on an asking price.