Herald: Marcus Smart not involved in potential Aaron Gordon deal

Marcus Smart might still be wearing green after Thursday’s deadline passes. Per the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, the All-Defense guard is not being included in a potential deal with the Orlando Magic that would send Aaron Gordon to Boston.

“Celtics talks with Orlando re: Aaron Gordon ‘still alive, but everyone does everything at last minute,’” Murphy wrote on Twitter. “Celtics offering first round pick and a young player - not Marcus Smart - and are trying not to include second pick in the deal.”

Murphy’s report comes amidst a plethora of rumors surrounding a Gordon-to-Boston move. These include one from The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Jared Weiss — they reported Monday that Boston’s “significant struggles this season appear to have increased the pressure to add another impactful player in time for the playoff push,” and that they “have been among the teams engaged with the Magic about a possible Gordon deal.” The Action Network’s Matt Moore also chimed in yesterday, reporting that the Celtics are indeed the frontrunners to land Gordon.

The Boston Celtics are considered the frontrunners to add Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon via trade, multiple sources confirmed to The Action Network Monday night. While the framework of a deal is in active discussion and considered the leading offer, sources say no deal has been agreed upon and the Magic are expected to continue to take offers up until Thursday’s deadline.

As CelticsBlog’s Jeff Clark wrote yesterday, “Moore goes on to indicate that the Celtics have offered two first rounders, which is more than what anyone else has put on the table as of yet.” He also notes that the Celtics could send a player, two picks, and their record-breaking $28.5 million TPE to nab both Gordon and Evan Fournier from the Magic.

Yesterday, Sam Amick reported that the complex framework of a trade like the one detailed above would lead to a most likely scenario where the Celtics would send Smart to the Magic, use the TPE, and get Gordon and Fournier in return. But the exception can’t be used with more than one player. There would need to be another team involved for the math to line up properly. But as both Moore and Amick wrote, regardless of the math, Boston is considered the frontrunner for Gordon, with Denver as the next likely suitor.

So, nevermind on the Smart front, I guess? Although there is still the lingering thought that Smart could head to the Atlanta Hawks in a potential deal for John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or...other players? The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported earlier this week that the Celtics could be interested in both Collins and Bogdanovic — if the deal makes sense financially — and The Athletics’s Shams Charania reported just yesterday that the Hawks were interested in Smart. In what deal, he didn’t say.

What have we learned? Everybody wants Smart; the Celtics want Gordon, but not for Smart; this time of the NBA year is crazy. I think that’s everything. If I missed something, check out our open thread of Celtics rumors over on the home page.

I wrote this yesterday, but it still applies: Grind the beans. Put the coffee on. It’s gonna be a long week.