At the peak of DPOY! Why no one wants Smart, 31 years old?

A news that may not be so high:

The Wizards want to trade Smart to a competitive team, but no team is interested so far. It is expected that Smart will become the target of interest to these teams until the late free market stage, after some teams failed to sign.

I wonder how you feel when you see this news. My first thought is: It’s only been a few years, why is there no one in Smart?

If you still remember, Smart was still a well-known figure in the 2021-22 season. He was still playing for the Celtics at that time, and averaged 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Not only did he help Celtic reach the finals, he was also elected as the best defensive player of the year.

This award is not simple, especially for defenders. Before Smart, the last defender DPOY was Gary Payton in 1996, and the next was Jordan in 1988. Both of them were Hall of Fame-level bosses.

However, just one year after getting the DPOY, Smart was traded by the Celtics. The three-party deal in 2023:

- Grizzlies get: Smart

- Celtics get: Porzingis, 2023 pick 25 (from the Grizzlies), the top 4 picks for the Warriors in 2024 protection first round pick (from the Grizzlies)

- Wizards get: Tyers Jones, Garlinari, Muscara, 2023 pick 35 (from the Celtics)

In the same year, the Celtics got Holiday in another deal. Ironically, Smart did not bring the championship to the Celtics, Holiday did it, and also won a big contract.

However, on Smart's side, the situation is a little wrong.

In the 2023-24 season, Smart only played 20 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 14.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, shooting percentage of 43.0% and three-point shooting percentage of 32.2%.

The Grizzlies' intention to get Smart is very simple, forming an internal and external DPOY combination of Smart + Jaren Jr. Unfortunately, due to the serious injury wave that season + Morant's suspension, the Grizzlies did not meet the ideal performance and only won 27 games throughout the season.

This season, the Grizzlies slowly walked out of their injuries the previous year and eventually made it to the playoffs, but all this doesn't seem to have much to do with Smart.

Due to the influence of ankle and other injuries, Smart only played 19 games for the Grizzlies, and was still a substitute in 13 games. He averaged only 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting percentage of 35.8%, three-point shooting percentage of 32.2%, and real shooting percentage of 50.4%.

Due to their poor performance, the Grizzlies sent it to the Wizards in the middle of the season, and the transaction at that time was quite amazing:

-The Grizzlies got Bagley, Johnny Davis, two future second-round picks

-The Wizards got Smart, Ryan, Kobe Jones, and the first round of 2025 (from the Grizzlies)

-The Kings got Laravia

In summary, when the Grizzlies got Smart, they spent two first-round picks to send Smart away, and another first-round pick. They lost three first-round picks in less than two years. These days, three first-rounds are not cheap, and they may all be able to be transferred to Durant.

Back to Smart, after joining the Wizards, his performance was still not good. He only played 15 games in total, averaging only 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. His playing time has been less than 20 minutes, and he is a substitute in 15 games. In other words, the weak team can't even start.

Smart has a good defense, is good at creating offensive fouls, and can also switch to multiple positions. However, the defender's defensive influence is always limited and he cannot support the entire system like the inside.

In fact, the reason why Smart got DPOY was closely related to the Celtics' first defensive efficiency that year, that is, it was not his only credit.

On the offensive end, Smart not only did not end, but also did not have enough shooting ability. His career three-point shooting percentage was only 32.4%, but even so, Smart occasionally got the lead. During the Celtics, he often saw him ignore the Double Tanhua and get the ball and start working on his own, and the result was often bad.

and, another point, after leaving the Celtics, Smart's desire to win also seemed to decline. It is obvious that his body shape can't be maintained, which may be related to the environment. If he changes to a team that can win, it may be different.

Interestingly, due to the decline in performance, the contract evaluations about Smart have also been completely different.

Three years ago, the 4-year contract of 76.5 million that he had just taken effect when he was elected DPOY was a bargain price. Now that he has a salary of 20 million this year, it is already a premium. In order to send him away, the Grizzlies even took over the first round. It is probably a bit difficult for the Wizards to let other teams take over.

and, Smart is only 31 years old now and should be at his peak, but his strength is no longer as good as before. The team spirit of the Celtics is still vivid in his mind. Looking at it now, no one cares about it, and the attention is falling sharply, which is a bit sad.