For somebody who has been labeled the heart and soul of the team, Marcus Smart’s future with the Boston Celtics sure seems unclear. One minute, the rumor mill has him pegged as the Celtics’ de facto starting point guard. The next, he’s on the verge of getting added to the Tristan Thompson trade or used as part of a package to acquire another star.
On Friday, a new report may have shed some light on what the Celtics brass actually has in mind the two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team pick.
Per a tweet from the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, the team has tendered an offer to Smart regarding a long-term contract extension. However, the terms of the offer may or may not be to the 27-year-old’s liking.
Wrote Murphy:
“Hear that the three-team trade (Bos.-ATL-Sac) will be announced soon, unchanged. … Celtics await a response from Smart agent Jason Glushon, but are said to be willing to extend him for roughly $17M over four years.”
Differing Numbers on the Celtics’ Possible Extension Offer to Smart
If that number represents an average salary over the life of the deal, it could be less than Smart is looking for. Earlier this week, Murphy reported that Smart was angling for something closer to $80 million over four years.
On the other hand, former Phoenix Suns executive Ryan McDonough was quick to note that a contract with a year one salary of $17 million and annual raises would hit that mark.
Several outlets have run with numbers closer to those that McDonough has put out there. However, in a follow-up tweet, Murphy once again stated that the deal would be “for roughly $17M per over four years.” That average would put the extension closer to $68 million.
At any rate, Murphy says the the Cs are currently waiting to hear back from Smart’s agent, Jason Glushon.
As it stands, Smart is the final year of the four-year, $52 million pact he signed during the summer of 2018. In 48 games last season, Smart averaged a career-high 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per contest.
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The Three-Way Deal
The other aspect of Murphy’s latest report to note is his update on the three-way deal. As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics had agreed to send Thompson to the Sacramento Kings, who were sending Delon Wright to the Atlanta Hawks. Boston, meanwhile, would receive Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando.
More recently, it had been posited that the deal could be expanded in order to facilitate a sign-and-trade move sending guard Dennis Schroder to Beantown. Schroder was rumored to be seeking a free-agent deal worth $100-120 million this summer. However, that contract doesn’t look to be in the cards for him at this juncture.
In any case, Murphy’s best intel indicates that the inclusion of Schroder or anyone else in the Thompson deal is unlikely to occur.
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