Restricted free agent Marcus Smart has agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Smart, the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, found a quiet market in restricted free agency and, after his camp grumbled about Boston's lack of attention early in the summer, the two sides eventually hammered out a deal.
The deal is a victory for Smart's camp, which turned down a similar extension offer before the start of the season, according to sources. With Smart receiving no formal offer sheets this month at the start of restricted free agency, the Celtics could have simply waited for Smart and his agent to settle for a $6.1 million qualifying offer by Oct. 1.
Instead, the Celtics gain some security at point guard, one summer before All-Star Kyrie Irving is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency. (Terry Rozier would be a restricted free agent if no extension is reached).
Boston also gets a much-needed contract value it could use further out in trade scenarios. Before Smart re-signed, the Celtics did not have a salary for the upcoming season between $6.7 million (Jayson Tatum) and $21 million (Kyrie Irving).
In extending Smart, the Celtics will also plunge into the luxury tax this season, something president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said recently he expected the team to do.
With a payroll that could bloat even ore soon if Irving re-signs at big money next summer and younger players like Tatum and Jaylen Brown positioned for big-money extensions further out, the Celtics are showing a commitment to their current core by dancing into the tax this soon. More expensive repeater taxes could loom down the road if Boston keeps its core intact.
Smart averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assist, and 1.3 steals over 29.9 minutes per game last season. He's often maligned for his shooting - shooting 36 percent overall for his career, including 29.3 percent beyond the 3-point arc - but Celtics brass rave about his defensive tenacity and the way he impacts games.
Smart appeared in only 54 games last season after injuring his hand twice - first while punching a glass picture frame in frustration, then tearing a ligament while diving for a loose ball. Smart returned into the playoffs and helped the Celtics surge to the cusp of the NBA Finals before bowing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.
Smart has endured an emotional summer with his mother battling a recent cancer diagnosis. The extension brings some financial security to a player who has pledged to do whatever he can to help his mother win her cancer battle.
Read Again Brow http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24138987/boston-celtics-guard-marcus-smart-agrees-four-year-52-million-deal-stay-teamBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Celtics' Marcus Smart agrees to four-year, $52 million deal to stay with Celtics"
Post a Comment