Boston Celtics fans went through a rollercoaster of emotions when NBA news broke that they had acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies. Getting Porzingis was a massive win for the squad as they shored up their frontcourt. However, what made the moment bittersweet is the fact that they had to bid farewell to Marcus Smart.
Smart, who has been Boston’s talisman for many years, has now been sent packing to Memphis. Jayson Tatum was one of the first people to send his heartfelt goodbye message to his buddy in a lengthy and emotional social media post. For some reason, however, Jaylen Brown did not post anything on Twitter or Instagram, leading some fans to jump to the conclusion that Brown was just glad to see his now-ex-teammate go.
Marcus Smart Makes It Clear That He Has No ‘Beef’ With Jaylen Brown

As it turns out, these malicious fans couldn’t have been more wrong. Smart himself decided to address the rumors directly in a recent interview as he made it abundantly clear what kind of relationship he has with his former teammates:
“Jayson and Jaylen are my brothers for life,” Smart said, via Celtics on CLNS on Twitter. “I don’t think what people see is enough of what and how our relationship really is. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve been through the fire.”
The former Defensive Player of the Year then turned his attention to the “beef” rumor as he spoke about how close he is with Jaylen Brown and how all this talk about a supposed feud between them is pure nonsense:
“(When) my mom passed away JB was actually one of the people on that plane that came to Dallas to the funeral,” he continued. “So I just wanted to shut all rumors down that me and JB have beef. I have no beef with anybody with the Celtics — none of my teammates. I love those guys, they love me. … Me and JB, we’re great. He actually texted me and he was just as disappointed as I was. We’re good.”
Marcus Smart makes it clear there’s no “beef” between him & Jaylen Brown
“Jayson & Jaylen are my brothers for life and I don’t think what people see is enough of what our relationship really is. We’ve been through a lot together…
📺FULL Interview: https://t.co/F1WnjzAQKw
⚡️by… pic.twitter.com/Cb5L8WWllj
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) July 3, 2023
Marcus Smart Trade Adds New Layer To Milwaukee-Boston Rivalry

The Celtics will be a much different team without Marcus Smart, and this could be a good thing for the Milwaukee Bucks. These two teams face off multiple times in the regular season, and the possibility of a playoff series matchup is always on the mind of both sides. Last season, the Bucks finished first in the East, but Boston wasn’t far behind as they closed out the campaign just one game behind Milwaukee.
Marcus Smart has been the heart and soul of Boston, and losing him will heavily impact how this team operates — both on and off the court. However, the Bucks will need to deal with a whole new problem in Kristaps Porzingis. The frontcourt is an area where Boston wanted to improve significantly, and they have achieved just that with the arrival of the 7-foot-3 unicorn.
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