The NBA free agency period dried up rather fast as the majority of agreements between the teams and players came within the first few days of July. That being said, it seems one of the better athletes on the market may commit to an organization within the not too distant future, Marcus Smart.
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly “prepared to put together an offer” for Smart after the guard received limited interest elsewhere. This news came shortly after the Kings missed out on Zach LaVine who had his 4-year, $78 million offer sheet matched by the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. It is clear that the Kings are targeting young, athletic wing players, a mold that Smart fits to a tee.
Marcus Smart was able to carve out a substantial role for himself on such a deep Celtics roster during the early stages of his career. Although he is not known as much of a scorer, averaging only 10.2 points last season, his aggressiveness and perimeter defense are what set him apart from the rest. Smart has a reputation of being a bully on the defensive end, never shying away from a chance to bump players and doing whatever it takes to prevent the ball from advancing up the court.
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Initially, Smart thought the Celtics would jump at the chance to resign him, but talks have been quiet between the two parties, leaving Smart dumbfounded. When he was asked about his future with the Celtics, he responded by saying, “That’s what I want to know. I have no clue. I can only control what I can control.”
He has taken the Boston’s lack of interest personally, as people close to him have indicated that Marcus Smart is unhappy with the current progress on his new contract.
The Kings will attempt to take advantage of this situation as Smart’s frustration grows. The Celtics will have 48 hours to match the offer, at which point the former NBA All-Rookie Second Team honoree will find himself in a new uniform.
Featured Image Via Flickr/Keith Allison
