Hardwood Houdini
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Business of NBA continues to show through Smart’s free agency

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics runs the tunnel prior to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics on May 27, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics runs the tunnel prior to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics on May 27, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Business concerns were always going to make Marcus Smart’s free agency a long process

So far, the Boston Celtics have had a solid but quiet free agency. They brought back Aron Baynes on solid value, and added another overseas option in Brad Wanamaker. The Celtics are clearly looking to keep together as much as possible from last season, but we still have heard nothing about the one big decision that had to be made: Marcus Smart.

We always knew the negotiations between these two sides would be weird. The Celtics have a lot of future contracts to think about, and Danny Ainge has never been one to over pay a player, while always keeping the future in mind. Smart has done enough to earn a significant contract, but it is never that simple.

Every knows that Smart is the heart of this franchise, he is a true leader on and off the court and is one of the strongest and most important defenders in the NBA. Both sides have made it clear they want to stay together, and it is easy to see how important he is to this team.

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From a basketball standpoint, this one is a no brainier. The luxury tax is set up so you can always bring back your own players, but that is where the future comes into play again. The Celtics are already being set up for a massive tax bill in the next few years, and even a middling contract for Smart could drastically change what they will have to pay with the tax.

There are still some suitors and some money left to be spent, but time will run out quickly for Smart. He is going to wait as long as possible to make sure he gets the best deal out there, and there is no sense for the Celtics to rush anything.

He is a restricted free agent, so the Celtics can always control their fate in this situation by being ale to match any contract offered to Smart. The Celtics are going to do nothing that will cause them to pay more for Smart, and both sides will understand that.

These situations are the harsh reality of the NBA, but no damage is done until the Celtics actually decide to keep him or to move on. There is no doubt that the Celtics want and need Smart to be a part of their basketball team for a lot of basketball reasons, but his value is not going to be determined in a vacuum for the Celtics.

Right now, however, with all their depth in versatility and ball handling, the business side continues to suggest that they already have enough players to pay, and Smart will not be brought back unless it is good for business.

Smart has been too important to this rebuild to disregard in any way. He is taking his time, but there are too many reasons to keep Smart on the Celtics for the money end to actually end up winning.

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If Smart was going to find that one magical contract that the Celtics could never match, chances are he would have found it by now. Anything short of that, however, and the Celtics know that spending even a little extra money to keep him can be worth it, because there is no doubt that he changes what this team can do on defense, which will have a massive impact on their championship potential.

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