1. Boston Celtics
By far, the Celtics have the easiest path to keeping Smart. Thanks to the qualifying offer, the Celtics can match any offer a team gives Smart for a 72-hour period. With the QO, Boston has more or less dared other teams to give Smart a big contract and torpedo their cap room.
The Celtics have no problem playing hardball by not giving Smart an extension, forcing him to scour through a relatively barren open market. This strategy has reportedly upset Smart, as — according to many sources, including the Boston Herald‘s Mark Murphy — he’s grown frustrated with the lack of communication between the Celtics front office and him.
It may not be a big deal right now, but if the Celtics lowball Smart, it could cost them next year:
"“And Smart is still waiting for that call, now with a thought that he may indeed have to plan on unrestricted free agency next summer when NBA teams are expected to once again be flush with money. “If that’s the indication the Celtics are giving him — a one-year deal –— then absolutely, yes, he’s prepared for it,” said the [unnamed source] source. “And that doesn’t bode well for the Celtics if it comes down to that.”"
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
With a roster as stacked as Boston’s, losing Smart may not be that big a deal. However, if he’s as important as his teammates say he is, this could have a ripple effect when some of these younger players’ contracts come up down the line. The Celtics seem like a safe bet to keep Smart, but they had better be careful.