Celtics Rumors: Marcus Smart Offered New 4-Year Contract Worth $17M Per Year

The Boston Celtics are reportedly "willing" to offer guard Marcus Smart a four-year contract extension worth around $17 million annually.

Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reported Friday the Celtics "await a response" from Smart's agent, Jason Glushon. The two-time NBA All-Defensive first-team selection is heading into the final season of a four-year, $52 million contract.

Smart has spent his entire NBA career in Boston since the organization selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft.

The 27-year-old Oklahoma State product is coming off a 2020-21 season where he averaged career-high totals in points (13.1) and assists (5.7) to go along with 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 threes and 1.5 steals per game across 48 appearances.

He ranked 22nd among point guards in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus and remains one of the league's most effective perimeter defenders.

The one lingering issue for Smart is his offensive efficiency. He's a career 37.6 percent shooter from the field, including 32 percent from three-point range. Those are lackluster numbers and have been relatively consistent across his seven NBA seasons.

In December, the Texas native said his main focus was improving his shot selection.

"If I'm open, I'm definitely shooting the ball," Smart told reporters. "My teammates, the coaching staff, definitely told me [to] catch and shoot. If you're open, shoot it."

He added: "Because when I take great shots, I'm a great shooter."

Even a modest improvement in his shooting percentages would really help his overall value since he already impacts the game in so many other ways.

It sounds like the Celtics want Smart to remain part of their core for the foreseeable future. They already have Jayson Tatum (signed through 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26) and Jaylen Brown (2023-24) under contract for at least three more seasons. 

A four-year extension for Smart would keep him in Boston through the 2025-26 campaign.