Boston Celtics tender QO to Marcus Smart

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2018/06/boston_celtics_tender_qualifyi.html

Boston Celtics tender qualifying offer to defensive stopper Marcus Smart
Updated 7:12 AM; Posted 7:12 AM


By Fred Katz FKatz@masslive.com
The Boston Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to gritty guard Marcus Smart, officially making him a restricted free agent when NBA free agency begins Sunday at midnight, MassLive has confirmed.

RealGM's Keith Smith was first to report the news.

The offer is no surprise. With it, Smart now becomes a restricted free agent, meaning the Celtics can match any offer sheet he signs elsewhere to bring him back for the same price.

Smart and the Celtics were unable to work out an extension this fall, and the two appeared far apart for much of talks. But the Celtics have expressed a consistent desire to bring the 24-year-old back. Coach Brad Stevens did so just this week, telling The Athletic's Jay King he wants Smart around for the future "for a number of reasons."

His qualifying offer will be worth $6.1 million. Smart now has the opportunity to ride out restricted free agency inside a market that most anticipate to be unforgiving (only about seven teams will have significant cap space) or take the qualifying offer, play next season in Boston under a $6.1 million salary and then become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Of course, next summer will have a crowded free-agent class, as well.

Smart averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Celtics this past season, though he remained one of the NBA's least-efficient shooters, knocking in only 37 percent of his field-goal attempts and 30 percent of his 3-pointers. He is yet to make an All-Defensive Team, though he is already considered one of the league's stingiest guards on the perimeter.

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Fred Katz covers the Celtics for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter: @FredKatz.

If they wanted to, how much could they have offered Marcus above the qualifying offer? Is there a cap on the amount, or could they have offered him $10 million or are they just waiting for the offers to come in from other teams

Mark Murphy
Mark Murphy @Murf56
1 minute ago
On final day teams can send qualifying offer to their restricted free agents, Celtics have qualified Marcus Smart at just over $6 million. They can now match any offer.



bob
MY NOTE: I read they were planning to make a qualifying offer to Jabari Bird too, but no confirmation yet



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the QO only allows the Celtics to MATCH another teams offer.

we can still sign Smart for ANY amount Danny feels is fair and can go over the cap by any amount he wants, using Smarts bird rights.

The Celtics and Smart are probably both served best by him accepting the QO. That makes him a UFA next season when he could get a better payday if it is the dollars that are most important. Six million definitely works better for the C's in terms of keeping flexibility for the next year. At that point there will be more competition for dollars but there will be more dollars due to gaming on the horizon. At that point a 3 year deal for just above 30 million may be easier to do. That's a good number IMO, but much less than what Smart has been looking for. Unfortunately for him and IT, they aren't getting a deal that overpays like Turner got. It's going to be a very tight market for anyone not getting max money.

Maybe I am missing something, but I see no reason for him to accept the qualifying offer before gauging the market, including the possibility of the Celts upping the ante on their offer. He could sign a one year contact and still be an UFA  next year, couldn`t he?

jrleftfoot wrote:Maybe I am missing something, but I see no reason for him to accept the qualifying offer before gauging the market, including the possibility of the Celts upping the ante on their offer. He could sign a one year contact and still be an UFA  next year, couldn`t he?

The Celtics would never sign him to a higher salary one year contract instead of the QO, in my opinion. It takes away what little control the team has over long-term future contracts with Smart. The QO is so low for a reason, to force a restricted free agent to settle for a relatively low salary for one year in order to be a unrestricted free agent the next season and reap the rewards of the free market.

He has three options:

1. Accept the QO and gamble on his health and his next seasons quality of play in order to get a better contract from the highest bidder. He can test the market first before choosing this option.

2. Test the market and accept an offer from another team and wait for three days for the Celtics to match or not.

3. Accept whatever multi-season contract that the Celtics think is fair and will (in their opinion) keep him happy over the course of that contract.

I remember the summer of Big Baby's restricted free agency. We had to wait a long time before he settled for option #3. Different times and different player, but usually it takes a poison pill offer to keep the home team from keeping their free agent for at least the next season.

There was a player from Atlanta after the 2008 season that refused the QO and got no offers from other teams. He left the Hawks and played in Europe for a season or two. When he decided to return to the NBA, he was still faced with the same three options. The lesson learned by his example is to deal with the situation when it comes up, because avoiding it now doesn't change the results later.

gyso

According to Wojo who I watched last night, the money is drying up fast for these mid range players. Remember when Portland gave Turner all that money?
First of all, they tried trading him and no one would bite, several times. Now, he will be on the end of this contract, and I guarantee you he will never make that kind of money again.. Those players from that time, ate up all the extra money and now teams are hanging by their thumbs trying to come up with $ to pay players

The Celtics are playing this the right way, Smart will get a raise, but it will not be as big as he thinks he deserves. His best bet is to sign a one year deal, and become unrestricted next year when there will me more money out there for players of his level

I`m just saying that it would not make sense for him to sign without fielding other offers. The scenario you are painting seems likely. Perhaps I  misread or misinterpreted your post. I thought I was pretty clear when I said it would make no sense for him to accept the QO " before gauging the market." Still don`t.

If a team has a focus to improve their defense, Smart is in the mix. If they are looking for offense Smart is at the back of the line.

If Dallas goes after Jordan as has been reported they may not have an offer that could trump the Celtics desire to match.

There are a lot of FA out there chasing after less available money.

Other than Baynes, of course, and Smart, who do you think would be appealing to the Celtics in free agency?

I realize this could be a few weeks down the road, as teams make their decisions, tie up alot of their money, and then have to make cuts.

I know we have Terry Rozier for this year, but would Danny go after a sharp shooter off the bench. From all that I have read, Larkin in liable to get an offer that will be above whatever Celts want to give so I assume he will be gone. (I do not consider him a sharp shooter, but he sure filled in at times and came through for them)