The Washington Wizards weren't shy ahead of last week's NBA trade deadline.
Of the multiple moves the Wizards made, one of their most underrated moves could be acquiring Marcus Smart from the Memphis Grizzlies moments ahead of the 3 PM deadline, but only if they handle the situation the right way.
Memphis originally acquired Smart in a three-team blockbuster deal that involved that Wizards to begin with. Washington sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics and as a result, the veteran found himself involved in the deal landing in the Western Conference.
At the time of the trade, the Grizzlies felt the move to acquire the former Defensive Player of the Year could be the piece to help them get over the hump. However, after a couple of injury riddled seasons, Smart's time with Memphis came to an abrupt end when they attached a first-round pick to the guard in order to convince the Wizards to take in the 30-year-old's contract.
And while his value may not be at an all-time high right now, if the Wizards play their cards the right way, they could find a way to turn the Grizzlies loss into their gain.
Wizards need to follow the Thunder's lead
The Oklahoma City Thunder may be the blueprint of the way to go about a rebuild considering how quickly the team returned to contention following the loss of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Russell Westbrook over the course of the last decade.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti has made a number of solid moves over the course of their rebuild, but one of the best decisions he made was acquiring Al Horford from the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal wasn't the best due to Horford become a superstar for Oklahoma City, but the big man did get the opportunity to show he had plenty to offer after a failed stint with the Sixers.
In his lone season with the Thunder, Horford suited up for 28 games averaging 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 45% from field goal range and 36.8% from three before Presti and the team made the decision to shut him down and focus on the team's young talent.
But many may be asking why the team shut him down if he was playing so well? Presti and the team gave Horford the opportunity to showcase his ability to still play at a high level. After doing so, shutting him down prevented any injury and also prevented him from his play falling off to sell-high on the product he had shown on the floor.
As a result, OKC cashed in on the big man's play by offloading him to the Celtics in exchange for a package that included Kemba Walker (later waived), a first-round pick and a second-round pick.
The Wizards are in the perfect position to do the same thing with Smart if they can put him in position to thrive after the All-Star game. If they can do that, they will likely be able to increase his trade value heading into a busy offseason, as well as next year's trade deadline.