Marcus Smart Rumors: Mavericks Interested in Celtics SG for Right Price

The Dallas Mavericks reportedly have interest in pursuing Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart this offseason.

According to Mike Fisher of 247Sports, the Mavs' interest in the restricted free agent will depend on his asking price.

Smart missed some time in 2017-18 due to a hand injury, but in 54 games he averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

While he isn't a proficient shooter (36.7 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three-point range), Smart is an elite perimeter defender.

Among players to appear in at least 10 games last season, Smart was fourth in the league in defensive win shares, per NBA.com.

Boston was third in the NBA last season in points allowed, while the Mavericks ranked 12th.

Adding Smart would go a long way toward making Dallas a top defensive team and a potential playoff contender once again in the Western Conference.

Smart is part of a guard rotation in Boston with Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier. In Dallas, he would serve in a similar capacity with Dennis Smith Jr. and another strong defender in Wesley Matthews.

While the Mavericks would likely love to add the Texas native, Smart said in May that his "heart" is in Boston.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said everyone within the organization "would love" for Smart to return.

That could be tricky since Boston has a lot of major contract situations to consider in the coming years.

Irving and Al Horford can become unrestricted free agents next offseason, and Rozier will be a restricted free agent, while Jaylen Brown can become a restricted free agent the following offseason.

The Celtics may be faced with the "problem" of having too many quality players and being unable to keep them all. If that is the case, then the Mavs could be an attractive option for Smart due to the young talent they are starting to accumulate, including the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft Thursday.