NBA Rumors: Why Marcus Smart Has Felt ‘A Little Stung’ With Celtics

Marcus Smart has thrived as the Celtics’ sixth man for some time, but he apparently has longed for a more significant role.

Despite prior rumors suggesting otherwise, Smart is in Boston’s long-term plans. The six-year pro on Monday all but confirmed his new deal with the C’s, which reportedly is worth $77.1 million over four years.

Given the current state of Boston’s backcourt depth, Smart very well could be the team’s starting point guard entering the 2021-22 NBA season. It’s a role that largely evaded Smart over the course of his Celtics tenure, which reportedly didn’t always sit well with the two-time All-Defensive first-teamer.

“The money is obviously good, but I also talked to Smart one time about how he felt a little stung that he was never the starting PG over the years (IT arrived his second season, then Kyrie, then Kemba etc.),” Boston.com’s Tom Westerholm tweeted Monday. “Happy for him and interested to see how this plays out.”

Of course, Smart is not a lock to start at the 1 for the C’s. Brad Stevens and Co. recently brought in Dennis Schröder, who has plenty of starting point guard experience.