Will Marcus Smart don a Boston Celtics uniform in 2021-22 and beyond? That's been one of the bigger questions surrounding the C's this offseason, and it appears we may soon have an answer.
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports the Celtics are willing to offer the veteran guard a contract extension worth $17 million over four years. Smart currently is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Forsberg: What's the endgame for Brad Stevens and Celtics?
As our Chris Forsberg recently explained, Boston can offer Smart an extension starting at 120 percent of his 2021-22 salary, which prices out at approximately four years, $77.2 million. Extending the 27-year-old also would make him a more valuable trade asset, should the Celtics decide to go that route with their defensive stalwart.
If the NBA season were to start today, Smart would be the Celtics' starting point guard. Under him on the depth chart are Payton Pritchard and the newly-acquired Kris Dunn. Kemba Walker was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June and has since joined the New York Knicks.
In 48 games last season, Smart averaged 13.1 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals.