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Could Marcus Smart Return To Oklahoma To Play For The Thunder?

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This week, several reports have surfaced regarding the Boston Celtics’ desire to add a superstar. The Celts are apparently ready to make the jump into the elite contenders in the Eastern Conference and see if they can rough up Cleveland on their path to the NBA Finals.

This week, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report reported that the Thunder could be looking to move superstar point guard Russell Westbrook after losing Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics were believed to be at the very top of the list. Then on Thursday, a report from Sporting News surfaced that Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers is always on the Celtics’ wish list, and could be had for the right price.

While the Celtics have a plethora of future draft picks and plenty of cap space to boot, they also have a strong core of young talent, some of which would certainly be dipped into for a player of Russell Westbrook or Blake Griffin’s caliber.

If the Celtics believe they can re-sign Westbrook — and that’s a big if — what better package than to start with than their own point guard, the ferocious, talented, and sometimes head-scratching former Cowboy, Marcus Smart?

Boston’s core of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and the aforementioned Smart give the Celtics the depth and resources needed to acquire a player of Westbrook’s caliber, combined with draft picks (five first-rounders in the next three years) and cap space (Westbrook will earn $17.7 million in 2016-2017). With the addition of Al Horford, Boston believes it is close to the top tier in the East, and a player of Russell Westbrook’s status could propel them to the top.

There are certainly some complications regarding a potential Westbrook for Smart-centered Boston package. For one, Smart has yet to break out offensively, shooting just 34 percent from the field last season, including a woeful 25 perecent from behind the three-point line.

Then there is the issue of Westbrook’s impending 2017 free agency. Surely the Celtics would not deal from their collection of young talent/draft picks for just a year of the superstar point guard, especially with whispers of his desire to return to his home state and alma mater of UCLA with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But the Celtics are certainly up to something, which could lead to a new home, and a potential return to Oklahoma, for Marcus Smart. With Markel Brown potentially headed to join Durant at Golden State, this is a salve Oklahoma State fans could use right now.

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