Boston Celtics: 3 reasons Marcus Smart’s contract makes sense
1. The point guard dilemma of the future
Danny Ainge’s prowess as a general manager will be put to the test during the 2019 offseason. In a blink of an eye, the Boston Celtics could lose Al Horford to a player option, and both Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier to free agency. For now, let’s focus on Rozier and Irving.
Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports relayed that Kyrie Irving may want to test the waters during his upcoming unrestricted free agency period. Furthermore, he may take a long look at joining the New York Knicks. Mannix had this to say during a podcast:
"“I think they’re scared and should be scared to some degree of Kyrie Irving walking in 2019. I know he had a great year, but you know there are people in Cleveland that will tell you that the Knicks should be considered a real threat for Kyrie Irving.”"
Perhaps after spending a year in Boston, Irving has different thoughts about his next playing stop. No one knows. Still, player movement is at what seems like an all-time high and the idea of Irving signing with another team has to be taken seriously. The same goes for Terry Rozier.
During last year’s postseason run, Rozier rose to prominence as he filled in for an injured Kyrie Irving. He looked the part of a starting NBA point guard, turning the ball over only 22 times during 696 minutes of playoff basketball. Compare that number to the 109 dishes he handed out, and Rozier could be drawing interest from many teams to take up a role as their starting facilitator.
Imagine this scenario. It is the summer of next year, and the free agency moratorium period has just ended. Players are free to sign their next contract. Irving is still undecided as to where he will play next, but Rozier has received an offer in restricted free agency. The Celtics and Danny Ainge now have 48 hours to decide if they will match Rozier’s contract offer. They decide to let Rozier walk and hope Irving signs with them. Instead, Irving chooses to play elsewhere.
This is a totally realistic scenario. In the event this does happen, the Boston Celtics will still have Marcus Smart to man the point guard position. It is in this way that Smart acts as point guard insurance for the 2018-19 offseason. If this doomsday scenario for Boston occurs, Smart will be there to man the helm in the locker room and on the court.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Smart’s leadership, defensive skills and pick-and-roll ability will assuredly serve a role for the Boston Celtics. An uncertain future could not only determine how valuable Smart is to his team, but it could demonstrate how valuable his contract is as well.