Marcus Smart

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are bitter rivals, but they could put their differences aside to come together on a trade. Finding a landing spot for Russell Westbrook isn’t easy, but he could bring some positives to the Celtics.

Boston has had an issue coming into games ready to play. They sometimes have very low energy, leading to uninspired performances and losses. That is something that would not happen if Russell Westbrook was on the roster leading the way.

There are some things you can nitpick Westbrook about, but energy and effort are not two of them. Every time he steps on the court you know you are going to get 100 percent from him. The same cannot be said about the current group of Celtics.

For Los Angeles, building a return package is not easy. However, acquiring a package that starts with Marcus Smart could be a good place to start. Smart would provide a defensive presence at the point guard position the team is currently missing.

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It is unlikely to occur, but a package of Smart and Al Horford would work salary-wise. The Lakers would fill two holes on their roster in this scenario, as Smart can run some offense but most importantly plays defense. Horford provides a playmaking big man that can stretch the floor, a role Los Angeles had hoped Marc Gasol would fill before he went overseas.