Marcus Smart has been pretty open about the fact that he is not feeling the love from the Boston Celtics this offseason, but the team insists he is still wanted back despite the lack of a long-term contract offer.
When asked about Smart’s situation in free agency on Monday, Celtics president Danny Ainge didn’t offer much of an update. He did, however, make it clear that he wants Smart to return.
Ainge on Marcus Smart: "Don't know. Everything is in negotiations right now. But we want Marcus back."
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) July 16, 2018
There have been reports that Smart feels hurt and disgusted by the lack of communication from the Celtics’ front office this summer, but his frustration could have more to do with the free agent market than his current team. Smart is a restricted free agent and the Celtics have made him a qualifying offer, meaning they’ll have an opportunity to match any offer sheet the point guard might sign. While we heard that at least one team was planning to make him an offer, that has not happened yet.
Smart can be incredibly inconsistent offensively, but he is a max-effort player who makes a huge difference with defense and hustle plays in the postseason. He’s a very important depth piece for the Celtics, and Ainge understands that. The lack of communication is almost certainly a negotiating tactic.
