According to Dane Moore of Zone Coverage, the Minnesota Timberwolves pursued recently-extended veteran Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart this offseason, but elected instead to trade for fellow defensive stalwart Patrick Beverly instead.
Per Moore, the T-Wolves “had been hoping a Marcus Smart extension would not happen in Boston, sources say, so as to be able to trade for Smart.” The extension effectively took the Flower Mound native out of the game in the eyes of Minnesota. “With Smart off the board, the Wolves turned to Patrick Beverley,” adds the Zone Coverage writer. “At the end of the day, a player to help set a culture was a priority.”
“The prices for acquiring Beverley vs. Smart were very different,” shares Moore, though at present to what degree Boston had any interest at all in dealing Smart remains unclear.
The Timberwolves had been hoping a Marcus Smart extension would not happen in Boston, sources say, so as to be able to trade for Smart.
With Smart off the board, the Wolves turned to Patrick Beverley. At the end of the day, a player to help set a culture was a priority.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) August 17, 2021
The Oklahoma State product recently inked a $77.1 million extension that will add four more years to his current contract set to expire at the end of the coming season.
Despite some reports to the contrary, Smart has always been valued by former coach and current team president Brad Stevens, suggesting any potential trade package would have required a substantial return beyond what many teams might be willing to pay — including Minnesota, evidently.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
