Marcus Smart is returning to the Boston Celtics after signing a four-year, $52 million deal. He issued a statement after inking the deal that reaffirms his desire to win a championship in Boston, via Celtics reporter Fred Katz.

Despite rumors of Smart signing elsewhere this offseason, it always felt like he would return to the parquet of the Boston Garden. He's the perfect role player for Brad Stevens.

Smart's playstyle is all about winning. He's a glue guy that can do a little of everything on the court. He can defend, rebound, and score. He moves the ball on offense and he's always diving on the floor for loose balls. His stats may not always jump off the page, but Smart consistently makes winning plays, and that's the biggest thing Boston would've lost if they didn't re-sign him

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Last season, Smart averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He's not a particularly great shooter, but his ability to rebound and defend multiple positions makes up for the shooting deficiency.

Smart and the Celtics are currently the favorites to win the Eastern Conference heading into next season. Boston took LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to a Game 7 without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Heading into the 2018-19 season, Boston's core is expected back and fully healthy by opening night.

There's no doubt they can advance to the NBA Finals, but beating the Warriors and bringing a championship back to Boston will prove to be a monumental task. If they have any hope of achieving an upset against Golden State in the Finals, Smart is going to be right in the middle of the action.

Boston's roster is set for next season. Now they set their sights on the ultimate goal.