Marcus Smart sees himself in Boston next season

While hosting the 4th annual YGC Hoops Academy Boston Clinic at Brandeis University on Wednesday, Marcus Smart iterated that he sees himself playing in Boston in 2018-19. Is he worth re-signing?

With the NBA Draft just a day away, it is difficult for the Boston Celtics brass to focus on anything besides adding the next Jayson Tatum to the team.

However, it is not long until the NBA is swept up in the mania of free agency. The majority of the focus throughout the NBA will be on the landing spots of LeBron James and Paul George. The first priority for the Celtics is handling the restricted free agency of guard Marcus Smart.

When asked about his feelings about returning to the Celtics while leading a youth basketball clinic in the shadows of Boston’s former practice facility in Waltham, the 2015 lottery pick responded favorably. “To be honest, I do,” he said.

Smart has received little time to think about himself recently, as his mother is dealing with chemotherapy treatment in her battle against cancer. However, it makes sense why wanting to remain in Boston would be an easy decision.

Smart has ingratiated himself well within the Boston community and has found a niche in the Brad Stevens system similar to how Draymond Green has found his comfort zone with the Golden State Warriors.

In my opinion, Smart and Green are the two most important role players in the NBA. Neither are going to have a season in which they finish in the top ten in the league in scoring, but their teams would not be elite without their presence.

Look up Smart on Twitter and you’ll see Celtics fans bash him for his lack of shooting prowess. They are not wrong about his lack of a jumper, as he shot 36.7% from the field and his frightening 30.1% percent conversion rate from three-point land was somehow an improvement from his percentage in 2016-17.

But, your search will also reveal a boatload of adoration for Smart’s hustle. NBA players often get chided for their lack of effort. This is a crime you can never criticize Smart for committing.

The 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists he averaged per night last season do not tell the full story. Whether it’s the first quarter or the final five minutes of a tight game, Smart’s willingness to sacrifice his body to take a charge or stick himself into traffic to garner a loose ball is something that cannot be quantified.

He plays every game like it’s his last and is a terror for the opposition to deal with, similar to the effect Green has on the court for the two-time defending champion Warriors.

Green has made the All-Star team and the All-Defensive First Team each of the last three seasons, was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17, made the All-NBA Second Team in 2015-16 and the All-NBA Third Team a season later.

It’s difficult to imagine Smart being named to an All-Star team or an All-NBA squad. But, when you compare the two players, their outputs really aren’t that different.

Green has the edge over Smart in rebounding and assists, with 7.6 boards and 7.3 assists per game this past season. However, Green posted just 0.8 points more than Smart did per night. Smart averaged 1.3 steals while Green recorded 1.4 per game. Green also shot 30.1% from three-point land. Comparing Smart to Green isn’t a crazy maneuver, and the latter is set to make $17.5 million next year.

Green’s aforementioned resume is thick, hence his expensive contract. Smart has not quite reached the point where he could argue for $17 million per season, but relinquishing $14-16 million per year for Smart is a move the Celtics should feel comfortable making.

He is the backbone of a team that has improved each of his four years in town. He is somehow the longest-tenured player on the squad. Last month, Smart told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullen that he thinks he is worth more than $12-14 million, and it’s difficult not to agree with him.

Smart’s value is such that losing him over a difference of $2 million per season over four years is not worth it to general manager Danny Ainge. He is too integral to the structure of the Celtics as we know it, having played 29.9 minutes per night in each of the last two postseasons while hounding opponents on the perimeter, getting critical boards and making winning plays.

Next: 3 draft day tradr scenarios

Yesterday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix stated potential landing spots for Smart being Sacramento, Denver and Indiana. Unless any of these teams are prepared to bring a deal of four years, $72 million to the table, it is worth it for the Celtics to match the offers they extend to Smart.