Would Boston trade Marcus Smart for DeMarcus Cousins?
The Boston Celtics want a star and are willing to trade almost any collection of their own assets to get one. The Sacramento Kings have DeMarcus Cousins, a star who's either unhappy or on the verge of becoming so in the very near future.
But if Boston starts making calls for Sacramento's dominant big man, the Kings will likely ask for Marcus Smart in return—a potential franchise point guard who the Celtics absolutely love.
From SB Nation's Celticsblog, here's Jeff Clark sorting through the theoretical question of whether Danny Ainge would ever deal Smart for Cousins:
"Smart has many of the tools and work ethic and potential to become a cornerstone player for the Celtics and if they can build the team without giving him up (like say getting Kevin Love in free agency) then I think that is their preference. But one thing that Danny Ainge has proven time and time again is that nobody is off the table when it comes to trades."
This type of conversation is why general managers make the big bucks. Who knows how good Smart will be? His ceiling on defense is, well, as a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. And offensively he just may develop into a poor man's Russell Westbrook. Nobody knows.
Giving up on that so soon (while he's on a rookie-scale contract, nonetheless) could be a disaster, especially if Cousins continues to be unhappy in Boston and the team is unable to build around him.
Then again, stars are necessary to win championships and Cousins is definitely a star. What should they do? What would you do?
(h/t: CelticsBlog)
Photo Credit: Ed Szczepanski/USA TODAY Sports
