Celtics News: Brad Stevens Wants Marcus Smart Back with Boston
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said Monday that he wants guard Marcus Smart to remain with the team in 2018-19.
According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, Stevens said, "Everybody in the building would tell you we would love to have Marcus back. Marcus has been great here—a big part of our DNA."
Smart is a restricted free agent, meaning the Celtics have the right to match any offer from an opposing team.
Although Smart only appeared in 54 games during the 2017-18 regular season due primarily to a hand injury, he put up strong numbers in a supporting role with 10.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Smart only shot 36.7 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three-point range, but his greatest strength is his defensive prowess.
According to NBA.com, Smart was fourth in the NBA this season in defensive win shares among players who appeared in at least 10 games.
The 2014 No. 6 overall pick out of Oklahoma State hasn't lived up to his potential offensively, but he is a key cog in Boston's overall attack.
Letting Smart go may be a necessary evil, though, since the Celtics will have several other important contract situations to deal with in the near future.
Both guard Kyrie Irving and center Al Horford can become free agents after the 2018-19 season if they opt out of their contracts.
Also, playoff hero Terry Rozier will be a restricted free agent after next season.
A bit further down the line, Gordon Hayward can hit free agency after the 2019-20 campaign, and Jaylen Brown will become a restricted free agent at that point.
There are many advantages to having a deep, young, talented team, but one of the few drawbacks is that it's virtually impossible to keep everyone.
Losing Smart would undoubtedly be a detriment to Boston's perimeter defense, but due to Rozier's returning play and Hayward's impending return, the Celtics likely have enough pieces in place to make up for his potential loss collectively.
