Marcus Smart is staying in Boston, as the Celtics have reportedly reached a four-year $52 million deal with the 24-year old defensive menace.
The Celtics previously tendered a $6 million qualifying offer to make Smart a restricted free agent, giving them the right to match any offer sheet he signed with a competing club, but no other team presented an offer despite rumored interest. Smart, the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game during the 2017-18 season, in addition to being a lockdown on-ball defender.
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"I've never had a coach from another team say anything but, 'That dude's a total winner.' Ever," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said, per ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg (H/T Bleacher Report). "When you watch him play on film, I think it's pretty obvious. He's a guy that you know impacts the game."
Last season, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 55-27 record despite being without All-Star forward Gordon Hayward for the entire season, and losing All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving late in the year. Just about everyone from that 2018 team, now including Marcus Smart, will return to Boston next season as they look to take advantage of the wide open Eastern Conference.
