FanPost

Re-assessing Smart vs. Rozier

Forgive another post on whether Celts should keep and pay both. As we all know, they may have different styles, but both play similar roles in the rotation. The familiar argument has been Smart's better defense and play making is more valuable than Rozier's better offense. But Rozier's error-free PG play is showing that comparison may not be correct. He may simply be a better asset than Smart.

My hunch is that Ainge will re-sign Smart, who won't get an overly expensive offer from another team, and just run back the same team next season with a fully healthy (knock on wood) crew. He will forestall what to do about keeping both until Rozier is an RFA in a year.

But other possibilities remain. Could Rozier and another pick (likely Sacramento's) land one of the 4 bigs slated to go in the top 7 picks? Or can he be traded for a big who becomes redundant when another team takes one of those bigs? Would the big they might land be worth it? What is the magic number Ainge won't exceed to retain Smart?

And how about a sign-and-trade with Smart? Let's say Lakers binge and can't afford Randle, but would love a winning pit bull like Smart at a lower cost. To my mind, Randle is the ideal addition to the Celts rotation: a powerful 4 with the mobility to defend away from the basket. But would Celts be able to afford Randle and than re-sign Terry and Kyrie?

So what do you all think will or should happen in the case of Smart vs. Rozier?



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