Marcus Smart Says He Sees Himself Playing with Celtics Next Season

Marcus Smart is a restricted free agent, but it sounds like he's planning to stay where he is. 

"To be honest, I do," Smart said when asked if he sees himself with the Boston Celtics, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. "I haven't really put too much thought into the offseason free-agency thing. My No. 1 focus is on my family right now. I got a lot of stuff going on with my mom. She needs all the positive thinking."

Smart, 24, averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 assists per game during the 2017-18 season. His free agency is expected to be among the more polarizing this summer. Perhaps the best on-ball defender in the NBA, Smart is also one of the least efficient shooters in modern history. He's hit just 36.0 percent from the floor and 29.3 percent from three-point range.

According to Basketball Reference, Smart is the first player since the ABA-NBA merger to attempt at least 2,000 shots and shoot 36 percent or worse. His numbers can improve as his career progresses, but he's historically bad—and not especially shy about shooting.

"Let it fly," head coach Brad Stevens said of Smart's shooting, per John Schuhmann of NBA.com. "I want guys playing free. I want them excited to make a mistake and learn from it and move on. Marcus Smart makes a ton of winning plays, and because of that, he deserves to take those opportunities, because we all believe he's going to make them."

Returning to Boston could be the best fit for Smart, because Stevens encourages him and finds a way to work around his flaws. If Smart goes to a bad organization that throws a lot of money his way, things could go sour fast. It's easy to envision a scenario where a coach on the hot seat benches him for long stretches when his shot isn't falling.

There's no modern equivalent to Smart, so finding a suitable price range will be an adventure.