Kemba Walker had a difficult second season in Boston, rehabbing and managing his knee all year, before injuring it during the playoffs and. missing the final two games against Brooklyn. Will Kemba return next season?
Brad Stevens has some big decisions to make as the Boston Celtics' new president of basketball operations.
In addition to finding his replacement as C's head coach, Stevens is expected to shake up the roster ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. Two key players who may have played their last game in Boston include Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart.
Celtics offseason: Is a Kemba trade the right move?
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Walker reportedly was frustrated by the Celtics dangling him in trade talks and both sides have agreed that it would be best to part ways this offseason. Doing so might not be easy, as Walker has $73.6 million remaining on his contract over the next two seasons.
As for Smart, the veteran guard is coming off a down season but is one of the only C's not named Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown that would bring Boston something of value back in a deal.
So, will Walker and/or Smart be traded this offseason? Rich Shertenlieb from 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Toucher & Rich" joined Chris Forsberg on a brand new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to discuss.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Are Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart back in green next season? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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"I thought it was going to be near-impossible to get rid of that contract," Shertenlieb said. "But according to [The Athletic's] David Aldridge, he seems to think that the point guard position is a premium even if you are as injured as he has been. He thinks that they aren't going to have a hard time getting rid of him. ...
"It's the right thing to dump it. And it stinks because, boy, Kemba has been the definition of a good soldier. I mean, who doesn't love Kemba Walker? You want only good things for him, but it just didn't work. The injuries are killing him and that money is going to hinder you from making some sort of move that will truly help this team get to the next level. So, I'm crossing my fingers he's right."
How about the longest-tenured Celtic, Marcus Smart?
"I think he gets traded," Shertenlieb said. "He's got a ton of value, they know they need to shake things up. I love Marcus Smart, there's no question that there was a regression this year. We know he was injured, but I'm not finding it as hard to get rid of Marcus Smart when I saw how poorly this team played defense this season, put it that way. When you just take a look at how bad everything was, and I know it's a team effort, I'm not going to miss him as much as I would've last year."
Also in the new episode: Did Danny Ainge leave hints about his departure this season? How much did the bubble impact Ainge and Stevens’ role changes? Reflecting back on the time Tommy Heinsohn rapped to ‘Baby Got Back," and how did Shertenlieb become a Celtic fan?
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.
