Celtics guard Marcus Smart is thrilled to be returning to Boston on a four-year, $52 million deal.
Smart says, despite his initial disappointment with the negotation this summer, everything worked out.
From @Murf56 – Boston @celtics guard @smart_MS3 is happy to be back in Boston: "Boston loves me. I love Boston," he said. More here: https://t.co/UrN7czaztY pic.twitter.com/qt4u02Y4Fl
— Boston Herald Sports (@BosHeraldSports) July 20, 2018
Smart, 24, considered signing the C’s $6.05 million qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent next July.
Per the Boston Herald:
“All of my options were open,” he said. “I went back and forth internally. It’s a problem a lot of people would like to have. I definitely had thoughts of taking the qualifying offer.”
But when Smart’s talks with other teams didn’t bear fruit — some raised the possibility of a sign-and-trade arrangement with agent Happy Walters — his attention turned back to the Celtics, who finally came up with a better offer.
“I knew it was going to be tough. I educated myself. I knew it was going to be tough this year,” Smart said of the lack of teams with ample cap space. “But at the same, I knew I was going to be set. I knew I was going to be on a team and I’m glad it’s Boston. Boston is a second home for me.
“This is a business. You can’t get too high or too low on things. For me personally, I enjoyed the experience. Even though it’s frustrating, not many people in this world (have this opportunity). Boston loves me. I love Boston. I’m here. We made it work.
“Boston loves me. I love Boston. Boston wants me to be here. I wanted to be here. I am here.”
