Marcus Smart Upset With Boston Celtics
Known for playing relentless defense and at times being outspoken about his offensive talent, Marcus Smart has been considered an important part for the success of the Boston Celtics after the team climbed from 40 wins during his rookie season to last season’s 55 wins and one game shy of reaching the NBA Finals.
However, at this point, the restricted free agent is not happy with his team. A sources said that Boston has not reached out to the guard about a new contract since the start of free agency July 1 and Smart considers that an insult.
A report from a Boston newspaper reporter says that someone who is close to Smart’s camp expressed that the Celtic guard has become frustrated at the lack of communications from the team.
In addition, the market thus far has not been that kind to restricted free agents, expect for Dante Exum, a fellow lottery alumnus from 2014, who signed a three-year $33 million deal with the Utah Jazz.
Boston’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge declined to make a comment when contacted about Smart.
The source close to the Smart camp added that the Celtics guard thought an offer from Boston of three or four years would have been sent to him by now, but he has not heard from them since a couple of days prior to the free agent period beginning.
It is obvious Smart is upset, but free agency is not as easy as many seem to think, especially when it comes to the Celtics. The organization has shown they can be shrewd when dealing with player decisions such as the trade they made with the Brooklyn Nets of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and the trade during the offseason last year that sent Isaiah Thomas, who was injured, to Cleveland during the last year of a contract.
The Celtics can match any official offer another team gives Smart, but until that point arrives, they are not obligated to offer the guard anything.
If no offers are received by Smart from other teams, he would likely have to sign a one-year qualifying offer of $6 million from Boston.
Since Smart considers his worth to be $15 million a year, he would consider the signing of a $6 million one-year deal an insult and would likely not be too keen on re-signing with the Celtics next summer.
