With the NBA Draft set to bring fresh talent into the league, it could also allow some NBA rumors to actually come to life. Last summer's draft saw several trades go down, with Chicago sending Jimmy Butler to Minnesota in a multi-player and picks deal. The Dallas Mavericks may be active during this year's draft, as there are reports out there that they are considering the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart. The latest Celtics rumors indicate that Smart could be a great fit for the team and they could possibly sign him to a deal.

Mavs interested in Smart

The Boston Celtics' guard is set to become a free agent this summer and that could lead him to find the ideal offer and team for him. The Dallas Mavericks are a team interested in his services. However, 247Sports' Mike Fisher has indicated that the team's interest depends on his asking price. Those words have created NBA rumors involving the Celtics' elite perimeter defender.

Over the past two seasons, Marcus Smart has bumped up his scoring average to double digits. He was limited to just 54 games last season but provided 10.2 points and a career-high 4.8 assists per game. While Smart isn't generally known for putting up huge offensive numbers, he is an asset on the defensive end.

He consistently averaged about 1.5 steals or more per game for the first three seasons of his career.

That could give the Mavs the sort of player they need to complement Dennis Smith Jr.

and their other young talents as it's clear they're still rebuilding. The team will have the No. 5 draft pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, which gives them the potential to draft another future star. Smart may decide that that's the best scenario for him at this stage in his career. He's a Dallas Forth Worth product so he'd be returning to play where he grew up, and where he played high school ball.

Celtics want Smart too

The Boston Celtics also want Marcus Smart as he's been part of their key rotation which includes Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, and Jaylen Brown. Smart has become part of the overall team structure that has been able to compete in the postseason each year. With Isaiah Thomas hurt for the Eastern Conference Finals last season and Kyrie Irving out for the playoffs this season, his value showed.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has made it clear that he wants Smart back in Celtics green next season.

With that said, the biggest issue for the Boston Celtics is going to be all of the pieces they have on their current roster.

The team will be looking at the upcoming situations for Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Terry Rozier, and Jaylen Brown. Irving and Horford have the option to choose unrestricted free agency next summer. Rozier is going to become a restricted free agent. Jaylen Brown, yet another key part of that rotation, is a restricted free agent in 2020.

With that said, the Celtics may focus their financial efforts on those key players ahead of Smart. If Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban and the front office like the asking price, Smart could very well be back on his way to play in his home state of Texas.
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