At 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, the deadline for NBA teams extending the contracts of players from the 2014 draft class will come and go. Per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Boston Celtics don’t plan on extending sixth overall pick Marcus Smart’s contract:
According to a league source, barring a sudden change, Marcus Smart & the Celtics will not agree to an extension prior to tonight's deadline
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) October 16, 2017
As Himmelsbach notes, this doesn’t mean that the Celtics plan on parting ways with Smart:
One thing to remember with Marcus Smart: This isn't an indication the Celtics don't want him in Boston long-term. They do.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) October 16, 2017
If the Celtics don’t end up extending Smart, he’ll hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2018.
In restricted free agency, the Celtics will have the option to match any offer sheet that Smart signs with another team.
Last year for the Celtics, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Smart, who dropped 20 pounds and improved his outside shooting this summer, looked excellent in preseason.
