When the Boston Celtics drafted Marcus Smart in the first round last year, many wondered if he was heir to the Rajon Rondo throne. That theory proved to be accurate when the Celtics traded the point guard to the Dallas Mavericks and Smart immediately took over the starting role. While his rookie season was more of a mix bag of results, the potential to be great was obvious as the Celtics make it clear he is untouchable this offseason.
Boston intends on being very active in the offseason as Danny Ainge stressed the team would not wait to add talent to the roster. That means several players could be available for trades in the near future, but Smart is not one of them. According to NESN.com, Smart will not be made available in trades as the Celtics are confident in his abilities to grow in his second year with the team. There is no arguing that the 21-year-old has a lot of improving to do, but the Celtics feel confident that his ceiling in the league is very high.
Another player presumably off limits is Isaiah Thomas who was traded mid-season from the Phoenix Suns. Thomas excelled off the bench as a rightful candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. While his name has been tossed around in potential deals, Thomas said that Ainge favors him for the future and is asking for his input on roster changes.
"Danny said if there's any free agent out there I'm interested in, to let him know," Thomas said, via the Boston Herald. "That has me excited. For him to ask for my input means a lot, because it means I'm definitely, right now, a part of the future, and they also value your word and what you think about the game of basketball. It means a lot, and it's a mutual respect we have. Now, hopefully, we can get a few guys."
Outside of those two players, no one is truly safe from elimination in Boston. ESPN predicts that Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger and Evan Turner could be on the way out as the Celtics look for trades including a draft deal for Willie Cauley-Stein. They also have enough cap space to sign a player like Kevin Love, Marc Gasol or Greg Monroe to help the defensive efforts next year.
