Saying goodbye to an old friend is never easy.
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acknowledged that reality Thursday night after the three-team blockbuster deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston - which saw long-time Celtics fan favorite Marcus Smart traded to the Memphis Grizzlies - became official.
"Really hard," Stevens said of the decision to trade Smart, via NBC Sports. "I thought that we needed to balance our roster and make sure that we looked at the best ways to do that. And that meant that we were going to likely lose a really, really good player."
Smart spent nine seasons with the Celtics after they drafted him No. 6 overall in 2014. Stevens coached Smart for the first seven years of the guard's NBA career before moving into his current front-office role in 2021.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who played alongside Smart for the first six seasons of his career in Boston, shared a heartfelt message with his long-time teammate.
"My dawg. Forever grateful for you and how you pushed me and helped me along this journey," Tatum wrote on his Instagram story Thursday, over a photo of him and Smart hugging.
"Never change keep being you, one of a kind can never be replaced! My brotha for life. We gone link back up one day and get us one no doubt about that! Until then, much love Brodie!"
Smart earned All-Defensive first-team honors in three of the last five campaigns, including 2021-22, when he was named Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1995-96.
The Celtics made the playoffs in all nine years with Smart on the roster, including five conference finals appearances and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2022.
Stevens pointed to Smart as a key difference-maker for Boston, which had a record of 25-57 in the year prior to when he was drafted.
"The greatest legacy that you can leave is to be someplace and it's better off because you were there," Stevens said.
"I think that everybody feels that way. He will always be appreciated and thought of so fondly here, for any number of reasons."
Smart is expected to be a key contributor for the Grizzlies, who are set to move on from defensive stopper Dillon Brooks in free agency and will be missing star guard Ja Morant to begin next season due to suspension.
