Three-way blockbuster NBA deal on eve of 2023 NBA Draft

Marcus Smart (Google Images)

On Wednesday night, on the eve of the 2023 NBA Draft, there was a three-way blockbuster deal in the National Basketball Association between the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports. The Grizzlies acquired 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart of Flower Mound, Texas from the Boston Celtics. The Celtics received power forward and center Kristaps Porzingis of Liepaja, Latvia from the Wizards, and a first round pick from the Grizzlies in 2023 and 2024. The Wizards will receive point guard Tyus Jones of Burnsville, Minnesota from the Grizzlies, power forward Danilo Gallinari of Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy from the Celtics, center and power forward Mike Muscala of St. Louis Park, Minnesota from the Celtics and a second round pick from the 2023 NBA Draft from the Celtics. The Celtics get the 25th overall pick from the Grizzlies. The Wizards get the 35th overall pick from the Celtics.

Smart has played his entire nine-year NBA career with the Celtics. In 2022-23, he averaged 11.5 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game, and had a field goal percentage of .415, three-point percentage of .336, and a free throw percentage of .746.

Porzingis is joining his fourth NBA team after three seasons with the New York Knicks (2015 to 2018), three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks (2019 to 2022), and two seasons with the Washington Wizards (2022 to 2023). In 2022-23, he averaged 23.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Jones is joining his third NBA team after four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2015 to 2019), and four seasons with the Grizzlies (2019 to 2023). This past season, he averaged 10.3 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and one steal per game. Jones has a field goal percentage of .438, three-point percentage of .371, and a free throw percentage of .800.

Gallinari did not play all of last season due to a torn ACL. This is the first significant Grizzlies transaction since Ja Morant was suspended.

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