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The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly traded guard Marcus Smart to the Washington Wizards prior to the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Grizzlies also sent a 2025 first-round pick to the Wizards as part of the trade in exchange for two second-round picks.
Memphis will receive Marvin Bagley III and Johnny Davis as part of the return, Charania reported.
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
The Wizards are sending Marvin Bagley III to the Grizzlies as part of the deal, sources tell ESPN. Johnny Davis also sent to Memphis. <a href=”https://t.co/QeEN5HCUGH”>https://t.co/QeEN5HCUGH</a>
The 30-year-old Smart has played 11 NBA seasons—nine with the Boston Celtics and two for the Grizzlies.
The ex-Oklahoma State star was a defensive menace for the C’s and played an integral part their success during his time there.
Boston made the playoffs in each of his nine seasons, including five Eastern Conference Finals appearance and one East title. Overall, Smart averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals during his time in Boston.
After the 2022-23 season, the Celtics traded Smart to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal that also involved the Washington Wizards. Boston notably got Kristaps Porziņģis from the Wizards.
Unfortunately, Smart’s career in Memphis never got off the ground due to injuries.
Smart has played just 39 games in a Grizzlies uniform over two seasons. He was held to just 20 games in 2023-24 after suffering a rupture of the proximal interphalangeal joint central slip in his right ring finger. He sustained the injury during his team’s Jan. 9, 2024 game against the Dallas Mavericks. Smart also missed 17 games with a left ankle injury earlier that season.
He hasn’t caught a break this season either.
On Dec. 28, 2024, Memphis announced that Smart was diagnosed with a partial tear of the proximal extensor hood of his right index finger. Prior to his return on Wednesday, he had not played since Dec. 21.
Through 19 games this season, including six starts, Smart is averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals, while shooting just 35.8 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Needless to say, it’s been a tough time for Smart in Memphis simply due to horrible injury luck. Now he gets a change of scenery, and with that, hopefully Smart can start enjoying a sustained clean bill of health.
