Golden State Warriors should target Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart’s progression to being one of the best all-around players on the Boston Celtics has been an underrated one. He entered the league as nothing more than a scrappy defender who was willing to lay his body on the line to win a game. Now, he’s genuinely a quality playmaker and 3-point shooter.
The Celtics rely on Smart to provide tertiary playmaking nearly all the time. He’s become a glue guy for the team. This makes Smart a potentially valuable asset to the Warriors who are in desperate need of a middle-man of their own.
Smart averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 assists (both career-highs) in an injury-plagued run through the 2020-21 NBA season. His efficiency from both the field and 3-point line was below average but he has proven to be a capable third or fourth option in an offense.
Ideally, the Warriors would acquire Smart via sign-and-trade with Kelly Oubre. This is the best possible outcome. However, he can also be obtained through combining a few other contracts, though this would require sacrificing a chunk of depth.
Nonetheless, going after Smart is likely a better option than dumping draft picks and assets into a Ben Simmons trade.