Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum happy about Marcus Smart extension

On Monday night, a ton of questions about the future of the Boston Celtics were answered with Marcus Smart finalizing a $77 million extension with the team, extending his seven-year career to 11 contracted seasons in Boston.

Cs fans are likely split on the final number, but the decision to lock up the remaining core member that could hit unrestricted free agency next summer signals a solidification of the team’s foundation heading into the first (hopefully) normal NBA season since 2018-19.

The strategy President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens employed this offseason is not one dissimilar to the one John Horst used last year when he locked up Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo to long-term deals in order to end the anxiety about their free agency and focus the Milwaukee Bucks on an eventual championship run.

With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown already owning max extensions, Smart now joins them in having no hovering questions of uncertainty. Tatum took Twitter to proclaim his happiness about Smart getting the bag:

It’s always good to have a happy superstar. While Boston Celtics hot take extraordinaire Gary Tanguay doesn’t like the Smart extension, one of the most important voices in the Cs organization does.

Tatum has only played in the NBA as Smart’s teammate. Drafted in 2017, Tatum became a Celtic in Smart’s fourth year. Neither player has missed the postseason in their careers.

For Smart, this new era of Cs basketball–one that will have Ime Udoka overseeing the on-court development–is another in a long line of new beginnings for the 2014 lottery pick.

After controversy and adversity played a big part of his collegiate basketball career, Smart has been a loyal and feel-good part of the Boston Celtics for the past seven years, and his time as a member of the home team at the TD Garden will continue for the foreseeable future.