Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 The Celtics Marcus Smart has only been gone (to Memphis) a day or so, but Brad Stevens didn't waste any time trying to replace part of what The Wolverine brought to the court. With the 38th pick in the draft, Boston chose Jordan Walsh. The 6'7", 205-lb. Arkansas product is a defensive whiz with the size and physique to guard multiple positions ( per The Athletic's Kyle Tucker ): “ You want a high-ceiling, switchable wing defender in an NBA-ready body? Meet Jordan Walsh, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound former McDonald’s All-American with a 7-2 wingspan, 8-11 standing reach and an aggressive disposition who was selected No. 38 overall by the Celtics. He’s raw (at best) offensively and his stats don’t sing — 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, less than an assist per game and 28 percent 3-point shooting as a freshman at Arkansas — but he absolutely impacts winning. The Razorbacks scored nine more points per 100 possessions with him on the court than when he was off, which led the team. ...

 This reported pre-draft deal can certainly NOT be referred to as one of the : "tweaks to the roster" that Brad Stevens had mentioned. Marcus Smart is destined to join the Memphis Grizzlies in a 3-team transaction and the Celtics will, in turn, acquire the Wizards Kristaps Porzingis and the 25th overall pick in today's NBA draft.  Boston will send both Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to Washington - to be joined there by the Grizzlies Tyus Jones . The Celtics will also receive Golden State's protected first-round pick in the 2024 draft. Porzingis will alomst-certainly have an immediate positive effect for his new team, but the hurtful part of this deal is the departure of Smart , the longest-tenured (9 seasons) Celtic. He was also the heart of the team and the pace-setter. This will be a blow to so many Boston fans that idolized The Wolverine's dedication to in-your-shirt defense and extraordinary hustle.   And thank you, sir, for what you did for my family ...

  Let's get the Bradley Beal-to-Boston out of the way . The Wizards' guard is owed an average of roughly $52 million per year for the next four seasons - the last one being a player option. Sending Jaylen Brown or other players to Washington and taking on that kind of money is exactly what the Celtics don't want. Beal could end up in Boston with his long-time pal, Jayson Tatum , but the oft-injured Beal would have to arrive via some other path. Now to Brown's potential supermax deal. Should Brad Stevens go with that option, at best, that would reduce the team's wiggle room to roster an effective supporting cast . At it's worst, that move might cripple Boston's ability to remain truly competitive in it's quest for Banner 18. Now I present Option C . The NBA draft is one week away, and Stevens needs to consider sending Jaylen Brown to Portland for Anfernee Simons and the third-overall pick in the draft. Portland would have to send another player over ...