Boston Celtics: Complete 2018 offseason grades
By Kane Pitman
Keeping Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart wasted little time letting the world know how much he thought he was worth on the open market, putting a price tag on his head just moments after the Celtics were ousted form the 2018 playoffs in Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"“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.”"
Marcus Smart with the hustle and finish!#CUsRise 95 | #WhateverItTakes 87
— NBA (@NBA) May 16, 2018
5:00 remaining in the 4th on @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/GuSs2IErGt
That dollar amount appeared exorbitant, though as Smart notes, his value to the squad can hardly be quantified by box score statistics. He’s become a heart and soul member of the roster, always the first guy hitting the floor in search of loose ball, or running in to pick up a fallen teammate.
After a lengthy period of radio silence on the Smart front, the Celtics eventually re-signed the guard to a lengthy contract that matched the price tag he placed on his head. Just a day before free agency hit the three-week mark, the Celtics agreed to ink Smart to a four-year, $52 million deal.
The contract pushed the Celtics into the luxury tax, and will make things interesting moving forward as the rest of the roster will be due to cash in. Irving is set for a potential payday next summer, while the stock of young guns on the rise like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continues to explode.
It will be interesting to note how Smart fits into the rotation given Irving and Rozier are set to log major minutes at the guard position on return from injury.
Marcus Smart is so important. His versatility means so much to Boston. Stevens was able to leave Tatum in with two fouls because he could just switch Smart onto Saric.
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) May 7, 2018
Smart averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals over 29.9 minutes per game last season across 54 appearances. Shot selection continues to be a point of issue, however, as he launched 4.6 3-point attempts per game last season, connecting on just 30.1 percent of those tries.
Despite the obvious frustrations with Smart’s game, he has become a fan favorite for his rabid attack on defense and his innate ability to impact games in unrecordable ways.
The length of the deal is the only question mark here, as bringing Smart back was an absolute no-brainer on the surface.
Grade: B