Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart’s time on the restricted free agent market is about to come to an end.
Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Smart and the Celtics were seriously engaged in contract talks.
Now comes this note from Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports indicating that the two sides are finalizing a contract that would pay the 24-year-old Smart between $48 and $52 million over four seasons.
Source: #Celtics are finalizing a deal w/RFA Marcus Smart in the range of $48-52M over four years. #Boston loves Smart/believes he plays an integral role in its success. The Celtics are currently at a $115M payroll for next season – their threshold before entering tax is $123M.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 18, 2018
Remember, Smart showed previous frustration over the Celtics’ handling of his contract situation during what has been a weak market for restricted free agents. He also noted he was worth more than what this contract is said to be valued at.
Selected No. 6 overall back in 2014, Smart has progressed each and every season he’s been in the NBA. This past year saw him average 10.2 points and 4.8 assists while being one of the best perimeter defenders in the game.