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.

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.

On the final day of the NBA Trade Deadline, the Washington Wizards made another key move by acquiring Marcus Smart from the Memphis Grizzlies.

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.