The Celtics will have a consistent presence back on the parquet floor at TD Garden next season after re-signing Marcus Smart to a four-year, $52 million contract, Yahoo reported Thursday.
Smart was reportedly frustrated by his negotiations with the Celtics and considered accepting a $6.1 million qualifying offer from the team to become an unrestricted free agent after 2018-19, according to a report from NBC Sports. But it seems the relationship between Smart and GM Danny Ainge took a turn for the better as the two sides agreed on a more long-term deal.
Smart, 24, averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 assists in 54 appearances for Boston last season. He played 29.9 minutes per game during the Celtics’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were topped by the Cavaliers in seven games.
Smart was selected by Boston with the sixth pick in the 2014 draft. He has averaged 9.4 points in 261 career games for the Celtics.
