Marcus Smart
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are, unsurprisingly, letting the market dictate Marcus Smarts value. Smart is, a little surprisingly, as he puts it “hurt and disgusted” by the lack of communication from the front office. This is routine when dealing with restricted free agents. There is no need to outbid any other teams when you have the final say whether or not you match any contract that gets signed.
Smart is a solid contributer for the Celtics, but getting a handle on his actual value is difficult. It’s impossible to deny his hard nosed defense. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty and doing the little things to help his team win. Every franchise could use a player like Smart. The question is, how much is that actually worth?
He shot 36 percent from the field and 30 percent from downtown last season. While he certainly has proved he has value to Boston, he may not have the same impact on another team. The Sacramento Kings appear to be gearing up to offer him a contract anyways though after the Chicago Bulls matched their offer to Zach LaVine.
The Celtics may match or they may not. Regardless of where he ends up next season, Boston is the place he should be.