The Boston Celtics formally announced on Saturday that they officially signed Marcus Smart to a contract extension deal.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted several days ago that the Celtics and Smart came to terms on a four-year, $77 million extension deal. The Celtics guard was slated to hit free agency next year, but this new deal will keep him under contract with the team until the 2025-2026 season.
ESPN Sources: Boston Celtics G Marcus Smart has agreed to a four-year, $77M extension. New deal starts in 2022-‘23 with no player option and secures him at $90M-plus through 2025-‘26.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 16, 2021
In the press release from Boston's extension announcement, Smart revealed that the support from Celtics fans was one key reason behind his decision to extend his stay with the team.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather play and no other fans I’d rather play in front of,” Smart said. “I love Boston, and Boston loves me. We’ve had some great moments and success in my time here, but there’s more to accomplish. I’m ready to put that Celtics jersey back on and get to work out on the Parquet with my teammates.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens also released a statement following the announcement, where the former head coach noted that he is pleased that Smart will not be leaving Boston anytime soon.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to extend Marcus and thankful that he has chosen to remain a Celtic,” Stevens said. “In his seven years in Boston, he has made a big impact, on and off the court. It is not a coincidence that every team he’s played on has been in the playoffs, with several series wins throughout the years. He adds to winning on both ends of the floor, and competes with a grit and toughness that few match.”
With the departure of Kemba Walker in the offseason, Smart may share the starting point guard minutes with Dennis Schroder this upcoming season. More so, new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka recently noted that he is looking to implement more of a pass-first system with the team this season, which could mean that Smart may be tasked to be more of a facilitator when on the ball.
Smart is currently the longest-tenured Celtic, as the veteran guard has been with the team since his rookie campaign in the 2014-2015 season.
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