During an interview with NBA reporter Jeff Goodman of The Messenger, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum said he wanted to play with Marcus Smart “forever.” The Celtics traded Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason.
“I am for sure going to miss Smart,” Tatum said. “He was my teammate for six years and we’ve been through it all. We had good moments together, we had bad moments together. He’s somebody that I wish was going be my teammate forever.”
Smart averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Celtics last season. The rugged defender, along with former MVP Derrick Rose, will have to play very well while Ja Morant is out for the Grizzlies to stay competitive in the Western Conference. Morant will miss the first 25 games of next season due to a suspension. Both Smart and Rose are expected to mentor the superstar.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Celtics fans will give Smart a standing ovation when he comes back to the TD Garden next season. The former Defensive Player of the Year is one of the top players in Boston franchise history. Smart finished his Celtics career with averages of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 581 games.
An anonymous member of the Grizzlies told Keith Smith of Spotrac that the franchise is thrilled about acquiring Smart from the Celtics. Memphis believes Smart is a “perfect” fit.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
“Marcus Smart is perfect for everything we want to be,” the anonymous member of the Grizzlies said. “We want our players to be tough, versatile, intelligent and to sacrifice for the team. And they have to represent what we want Grizzlies to be and to do right by Memphis. Marcus is going to teach some of our young guys how to win in ways they haven’t quite figured out yet. We couldn’t be happier to have him.”
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