Adrian Wojnarowski described how the reported Celtics trade evolved, came to include Marcus Smart

Morning Sports Update Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon pressuring Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis during a game in March, 2023. AP Photo/Nick Wass

The Red Sox lost to the Twins 5-4 in 10 innings on Wednesday, ending Boston’s six-game winning streak.

The two teams play a series finale this afternoon in Minnesota at 1:10 p.m.

Adrian Wojnarowski on the Celtics’ trade: Through the final hours of June 21, the Celtics went from potentially completing a three-team deal to seeing it fall apart to reportedly agreeing to a new three-team trade that will send one of the faces of the team to Memphis.

It was (and could, for the short term, remain) a rollercoaster ride, with several twists and turns.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who — along with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe and Shams Charania of The Athletic — reported details of the trade talks as they evolved on Wednesday, discussed the evolution of the deal with Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.

“Probably around 10, 10:15 p.m. tonight [eastern time], Boston decided that it was going to move on from those three-team talks with the Clippers and the Wizards,” said Wojnarowski. “The Celtics were going to send Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers. When they just couldn’t get that deal finalized, they pivoted.

“Washington started to talk again with Memphis — there had been some conversations — and Marcus Smart had been a player the Grizzlies had targeted for obvious reasons,” Wojnarowski continued. “You see how he fits with that Grizzlies roster, bringing in his veteran toughness, his experience in the postseason, his leadership. All elements that they really wanted in Memphis.”

“All of a sudden you’ve got something of a blockbuster on the eve of the draft.”

In a comparatively small amount of time, the Celtics jumped away from one trade but back into another, with Smart now heading to the Grizzlies, who were equipped with draft picks to help sweeten the deal.

“They have a bushel of picks in Memphis and they’ve tried to use them in some big-game hunting,” the NBA insider said of the Grizzlies.

The reported result was the acquisition not only of two first-round picks, but the player the Celtics originally pursued.

“Boston gets what they wanted all along: Kristaps Porzingis along their front line”

The pivot had a major cost, however, with the beloved Smart — a fan favorite — being dealt after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Celtics.

“Absolutely,” Wojnarowski replied when asked if it was a “tough” move for Boston. “That’s why earlier they were ready to move off Malcolm Brogdon, another high-level point guard. Smart has been such an intrinsic part of that Celtic identity.

Yet despite his central role, Smart might have been a player that the Celtics chose to trade because of the impending salary cap issues.

“You can’t pay everybody,” Wojnarowski said. “They’ve done a remarkable job of gathering talent in Boston, of developing it, but then there come hard decisions. This was a hard decision for the Celtics, certainly.”

“They can’t pay everybody.”

Trivia: Marcus Smart has the fourth most steals in Celtics history since the stat was first officially tracked in the 1973-1973 season. Can you name the three players who rank above him on the list?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: They played college basketball at Kansas, Indiana State, and Kentucky, respectively.

More from Boston.com:

Another deep home run: A day after Masataka Yoshida’s 447-foot home run, Justin Turner hit a moonshot of his own.

On this day: In 1982, the Red Sox defeated the Tigers 5-4 in 11 innings thanks to a walk-off home run from rookie Wade Boggs.

Daily highlight: Leominster native Diego Fagundez scored a perfectly weighted chip for Austin FC in a 3-0 win over FC Dallas on Wednesday night.

Trivia answer: Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, Rajon Rondo

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