The trade deadline is hours away and one clear upgrade needed is at the point guard position. The Phoenix Suns should make an offer for a Boston Celtic.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching and now being only hours away, the Phoenix Suns should be busy on the phone. One clear weakness is at the point guard position and the best fit next to Devin Booker would be a defensive play maker. There is one with a winning pedigree that may be available and the team would be wise to make an offer for him.
The Suns have a plethora of wings and the well lit path would be to use one to get an established player at a position of need.
Marcus Smart is a defensive minded guard that can play the point next to Devin. His defense (1.7 steals, 6th in the NBA) and under rated play making ability (2.9 assists per turnover, 17th in the NBA) would help take so much pressure off of Booker and let him play his game.
Smart is gritty and a nuisance at times, but that could be used for good. Yes, he’s gotten in trouble in the past and been fined and suspended by the league for some of his actions but the team could use an enforcer and he can be that. Coach Kokoskov could work with him away from all the other guards in Boston and bring out the best player in him while grooming him to stand up in the right way and be the loud mouth the Suns need on their route back to respectability.
A big knock on him prior to this season was him being such a bad shooter. However, he listened to the criticism and worked his tail off to improve his shot. So far this season he’s making 1.6 threes per game on 37.7% accuracy. Only 30 players in the entire league are making more treys at a better clip than Smart. He’s come a long way and would be a nice fit in Phoenix.
The Celtics have two point guards in Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier both entering free agency after this summer. Boston will have to ask themselves if they want to pay both of them when they are already paying over $11 million per year for Marcus. Likely, that question will be answered with Smart being the odd man out. The Suns shouldn’t wait and should make an offer now. It would likely look similar to the following.
There are already several wings in green but the Eastern power is rumored to want to make a push for star Anthony Davis and that would likely take some of them off the roster. T.J. Warren could help soften the blow with what he could provide for them and at worse would be a bonafide sixth man in Boston.
Troy Daniels is another legit three point shooter and after last year’s brick house in their final game of the playoffs, having him as depth along with Warren would surely help.
Would this package land Marcus? The Phoenix Suns will only be able to answer that question by making a Smart offer.