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Marcus Smart will be the gut check Memphis needs

The Grizzlies believe the former Celtics leadership and playoff experience can help put them over the top.

LAS VEGAS — Marcus Smart has yet to dye his green hair blue, but his newfound dedication to Memphis is evident all the same. 

"It turns blue when it needs to be touched up," he joked.

The Memphis Grizzlies introduced Smart as an official member of the team Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, while the organization participates in NBA Summer League.

Smart was brought over in a three team trade with the Boston Celtics right before the 2023 NBA Draft. His former city, where he was drafted and spent nine seasons, bemoaned his exit. That's a good sign for Memphians and one Smart said didn't surprise him.

"The fan reaction in the city of Boston was exactly what I expected it to be and what anybody who's played at Boston would expect it to be. It's all love," Smart said. "They ride for the city hard man, just like Memphis, right?"

The hope is that Smart can bring to Memphis what he was so beloved for in Boston. Toughness, leadership, defense and a ridiculous will to win. 

Smart's trade may have surprised many, but Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman said the three-time NBA All-Defensive team selection and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year was always top of the list when it came to organization's player targets. Smart was one that "checks all the boxes."

The front office jumped on the chance to trade for Smart when another transaction for Boston fell through.

"When we started to put names up on the board, there was no one higher than Marcus (Smart)," Kleiman said.

Smart helped Boston go to the playoffs every season that he was a Celtic, including five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2022. 

In short, he's been where Memphis wants to go and Kleiman believes Smart is the "gut check" that can get Memphis there.

"This is the type of person that we believe is going to elevate the group and get to where we want to get to, which is winning the first championship in Memphis," Kleiman said.

"I understand for these guys, they are young and a lot of them ain't been in that battle yet," Smart said. "To be able to go into battle with a guy that you know he knows what he's doing, he's been there before, we're going to be alright."

Head Coach Taylor Jenkins said he and Kleiman were in "lockstep" over the roster decisions and what it takes to evolve the Grizzlies roster. For Jenkins, bringing in Smart was a no brainer.

"It was a 'yes, let's blanking go!' Right off the bat," Jenkins said. "We've got a great competitive group that needs more juice to get us to the next level and that's what Marcus is going to do for us."

Smart's addition makes Memphis the first team to employ the two back-to-back NBA Defensive Players of the Year. Jaren Jackson Jr. won the award in 2023. 

Meshing the two players defensive prowess is something that Jenkins, Smart and the team are salivating over.

"To be able to have two guys that can hold their own in different positions is going to create havoc and a lot of chaos for other teams," Smart said.

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