When former Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in July, many members of the Boston faithful were shocked. Some even felt betrayed. However, Celtics star Jaylen Brown wasn’t upset at his former teammate for joining the Green Team’s biggest rival.
Although Brown — who was drafted by Boston nearly a decade ago — admittedly disliked the elder Smart at first, he eventually grew close to the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and learned to lead like him. Their relationship didn’t stop the Celtics from unexpectedly trading Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer of 2023.
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For Boston, the move worked wonders. It captured its 18th title in franchise history the very next season, as Brown went on to be the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. For Smart, it wasn’t as smooth of a transition, as the vet played in just 39 games for the Griz before getting dealt at the 2025 trade deadline to the floundering Washington Wizards.
May 27, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrates with guard Marcus Smart (36) after defeating the Miami Heat in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Following multiple trades and a contract buyout, Smart was finally able to choose his next destination. He landed with the Lakers, and Brown doesn’t blame him for the business decision.
“Can’t really be mad at it,” Brown said on his Twitch channel when a chatter asked him for his thoughts on Smart’s new home. “We act like he chose — he got traded!”
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While Smart chose to be in Los Angeles, he never wanted to leave Boston in the first place. Brown sympathized with that and discussed how he himself has unwillingly been involved in trade talks.
“It’s the business,” Brown described of the NBA’s rumor mill. “It don’t really offend me, or nothing like that how it could be…It just molds you. My jacket is built different now.”
Brown’s ability to bolster his “jacket” and grow stronger from trade rumblings, which could be taken as slights against his game, will be crucial for the upcoming 2025-26 regular season. Many people expect Boston to take a step back without star forward Jayson Tatum healthy, and Brown will likely face the brunt of media criticism in his absence as the C’s new go-to guy.
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But, if anyone can handle harsh outside noise and pesky narratives, it’s Brown.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown knows Marcus Smart going to L.A. was a business decision