Marcus Smart said he expected a trade, though he was a little surprised since he was moved by the Grizzlies to the Wizards right before the deadline.

The veteran acquired from Memphis wants to offer his expertise to rebuilding Washington, which fell to Atlanta, 125-111, on Saturday night.

Smart, the 30-year-old defensive-minded veteran, is expected to act as a mentor to this young Wizards team. The Grizzlies were expected to make moves in order to free up cap space for key extensions, and Smart was the casualty in this move. Speaking to Wizards reporters, Smart commented on his feelings about the trade.

As the NBA trade deadline was going into play, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards struck a notable trade, which included the veteran two-way stand

The Marcus Smart era with the Grizzlies came to an end right before Thursday’s trade deadline. Smart is headed from the Grizzlies to the Wizards in a multi-team trade as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Grizzlies are sending a first-round pick to the Wizards while Memphis gets two second-round picks.

“The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Marcus Smart and a 2025 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards in a multi-team trade that sends two second-round picks to Memphis, sources tell ESPN,” Shams Charania said in a post. “Memphis creates roster flexibility with the move.”