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Marcus Smart Was Almost Traded

Apparently the Celtics loved Marcus Smart so much in his rookie season, they thought about trading him.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart scored 523 points in 1,808 minutes in his first year in the NBA and helped the Boston Celtics get to a playoff birth and a 40-42 record.

That wasn't enough, apparently. According to a report from the L.A. Times, the Celtics consider every player on the roster is available, no matter how much he did or did not contribute to the season.

"League executives also said the Celtics were trying to move up in the draft, using their two first-round picks and two second-round picks as bait."

The executives said the Celtics were looking to trade point guard Marcus Smart and the Nos. 16 and 28 picks in the first round to Philadelphia for center/forward Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. But the 76ers, the executives said, weren't interested."

The Celtics currently hold pick No. 16 in the draft, which starts this Thursday evening. A number of teams are reportedly trying to trade into the lottery so the Celtics would need to act soon and offer something bigger than they already did to do so.