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Adam Hunger / Associated press
Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics will stay together for the foreseeable future.
By Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Smart agreed to a four-year extension worth $ 77.1 million who will keep him with the Celtics throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Smart appeared to confirm the deal on social media:
He also posted “We have 4 more …” on Instagram.
Boston started off-season commercial activity early in Okay to send Kemba Walker, the No.16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a 2025 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick.
The swap of Walker’s salary ($ 36 million) for Horford’s ($ 26.5 million) gave the Celtics an additional $ 9.5 million to use for roster improvements this summer.
Brown was used in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks to acquire Josh Richardson.
Smart was due to enter the final season of his previous contract which earned him $ 13.8 million. The 27-year-old set career highs in scoring (13.1 points per game) and assists (5.7) in 48 appearances last season.
Even though Smart is not an effective scorer, his defensive skills have made him one of the most valuable all-round players in the NBA. The former Oklahoma State was named to the All-Defensive First Team during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
Another big part of Smart’s success in the NBA is his versatility. He has appeared in 449 games over the past seven seasons, including 228 in the starting lineup. The Celtics used him as a point guard and point guard.
Brad Stevens, who is in his first season as president of Boston basketball operations, knows full well what Smart is capable of and how important he is to the success of the franchise.
By committing to the Celtics now, Smart has given the franchise more flexibility to grow their roster in the short and long term around a line consisting of himself, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
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