Celtics fans and analysts react to the Marcus Smart trade for Kristaps Porzingis

Over the past nine seasons, no one player better embodied Boston Celtics basketball than Marcus Smart. And fresh off one of the best seasons of his career and an incredibly strong postseason, there was plenty of excitement around the year the 29-year-old had put together and what could be in store for next year.

But following a trade involving the Celtics, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers that went haywire earlier in the day Wednesday, one that Smart was not included in, things got a bit off the rails. As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the initial deal included the Celtics acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Malcolm Brogdon heading to the Clippers and the Wizards receiving Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, Danilo Gallinari and the No. 30 pick in this year's NBA Draft.

That deal, which would have left the Celtics with their same current trio of guards while adding Porzingis to the mix, fell apart after the Clippers reportedly raised concerns about Brogdon's injury status, as Marc Stein revealed. And with the Clippers' concerns looming, the Celtics opted to search for a new deal, and this one resulted in the fan-favorite Smart being sent out of town.

As ESPN and Wojnarowski detailed, the finalized trade included the Wizards receiving Tyus Jones, Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the Celtics' pick at No. 35 in this year's draft. The Celtics moved Smart in the deal but added Porzingis and two first-round picks - the No. 25 selection this year, and a 2024 first-round pick originally held by the Warriors. The third team in the revised trade is the Memphis Grizzlies, who added Smart, who'll likely start for Ja Morant during the young star's 25-game suspension.

Celtics' trade a wild ride of emotions for fanbase

When evaluating the two reported trade packages, both of which brought Porzingis to Boston, it's no surprise that most fans seem to have been far more open to Brogdon being dealt instead of Smart. Following the second trade coming together, the initial report that Porzingis would still be on the move to Boston came with a positive reception ... until it was revealed that Smart was among the players on the way out.

Here are just a few of the reactions from fans, writers, analysts and anyone in-between who voiced their opinion on Smart's departure.