Boston Celtics offseason: Making the Smart decision
By Kane Pitman
The Boston Celtics exceeded expectations under all kinds of adversity in 2017-18, and they now enter an offseason full of critical roster question marks. One decision on the horizon will be what to do with firebrand guard Marcus Smart.
Undoubtedly a serious talent, Marcus Smart‘s best attribute may indeed be his passion and intensity on the court. After four largely impactful seasons with the Boston Celtics in the NBA, he now heads into the 2018 offseason as a restricted free agent.
With that in mind, the Celtics are faced with what could be an incredibly difficult decision. Speaking with ESPN shortly after the Celtics’ Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Smart was not shy in putting a price tag on his talents.
"“To be honest, I’m worth more than $12-14 million,” Smart told ESPN. “Just for the things I do on the court that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You don’t find guys like that. I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.”"
With that in mind, let’s take a deeper look into the pending decision on Smart, and the pros and cons of keeping the Oklahoma State product in green.