NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Are Reportedly Keen on Keeping Marcus Smart on the Roster
Smart will be a restricted free agent this offseason
The Boston Celtics are in an enviable position.
They have a roster that features All-Stars — Gordon Hayward, Al Horford and Kyrie Irving – young and rapidly improving possible stars — Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum — as well versatile role players who can help any team they're on.
Were it not for injuries to Irving and Hayward, the Celtics could very well be the ones challenging the Golden State Warriors right now in the NBA Finals, but due to them being short-handed, they ultimately lost in seven hard-fought games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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That loss could very well be a minor setback and a learning experience for the Celtics, and by this time next year, they may be vying for the NBA championship.
In order to maximize their chances of winning, the Celtics are apparently planning to field a loaded roster for next year's probable playoff run.
According to a team source spoken to recently by The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, the Celtics want to bring back restricted free agent-to-be Marcus Smart as well as Terry Rozier.
The tidbit about Rozier is interesting but not that surprising since he's still under contract at a relatively affordable $3 million for next season. It's the Celtics' apparent interest in retaining Smart that is worth noting here.
Because Smart is set to be a restricted free agent, he can sign offer sheets from other teams, but the Celtics will have the right to match if they so desire.
If Smart gets something in the range of $6 to 8 million per year from another team, the Celtics would probably have no issue with matching, but he's already made it clear that he's looking for more money than that.
Speaking recently to ESPN, Smart mentioned that he believes he's worth more than $12 to 14 million.
That's where things can get complicated for the Celtics as they still have to consider pending extensions for Brown, Tatum and possibly Irving. Giving more than $14 million to Smart annually could significantly limit their financial flexibility and that could work against them eventually.
The Celtics likely know that, so why then would they still have a desire to bring back Smart?
It's probably because Smart does so much for them when he's on the floor. Smart's not the best shooter or the best passer, but what he does incredibly well on a nightly basis is compete.
He will take on any defensive assignment and do all that he can to shut down who he's matched up against. He'll also fight for every loose ball and take every charge because doing those things helps his team.
Players like that belong on winning teams, and that's probably why the Celtics want to hang on to him.
In all likelihood, though, the Celtics will set an internal cap on how much they want to spend on Smart, and if the price becomes too high for them, it's not out of the question for them to move on.
The Celtics may want to bring Smart back, but they likely want to do so on their terms.
