Marcus Smart Says He Hasn't Heard from Celtics About Possible Contract Extension

If the Boston Celtics plan on re-signing Marcus Smart, then they haven't made that clear to the fourth-year point guard.

The Vertical's Shams Charania reported Monday that Smart hopes to stay with the Celtics but that he hasn't heard from Boston about a new contract as the Oct. 16 deadline to agree to an extension approaches.

Since Smart will be a restricted free agent next summer, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge may be content to let Smart hit the open market. Boston would be able to match any offer sheet Smart receives from another team.

The 23-year-old is coming off his best season in the NBA, but his offensive numbers illustrate the limits of his game. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 assists a game and shot 28.3 percent beyond the arc. Smart is a career 29.1 percent shooter from three-point range.

Teams will covet Smart's defending, though, which will add to his value as a free agent. According to NBA.com, he held opposing shooters to 33.2 percent on three-pointers and 35.3 percent on shots beyond 15 feet. The Celtics also averaged 2.1 fewer points per 100 possessions when Smart was on the floor, per NBA.com.

Boston traded away Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley. The prevailing wisdom was that dealing Thomas and Bradley—both of whom are on expiring contracts—meant the Celtics essentially chose Smart as the guard they'll extend beyond the upcoming season.

Failing to re-sign Smart would leave the Celtics with little depth at point guard behind Kyrie Irving, and Boston would have limited financial resources with which to sign a replacement.

Should the rookie extension deadline pass without the Celtics and Smart agreeing to a new contract, he'd still likely remain a part of the team's long-term future.