The Boston Celtics traded Marcus Smart in 2023 after his first sign of decline to get Kristaps Porzingis. Smart made first-team All-Defense three times and was Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Celtics fans were gutted to see him go, but Boston couldn’t resist getting a stretch five and had just seen Smart’s productive and advanced metrics take a step back. The Celtics thought it might be the beginning of the end, but he is still making an impact on a contender.
Smart struggled to stay healthy in Memphis and was traded to the Wizards at the 2025 deadline.