CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics looks on in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Should the Boston Celtics Consider Trading Jaylen Brown for Kawhi? by Jesse Cinquini

Marcus Smart is a very unique player to say the least. While his box-score stats don’t jump off the page, the value he brings to his team is evident.

While the free-agents of the 2016 offseason benefitted from a ‘cap boom’, where role-players like Evan Turner and Loul Deng walked away with contracts worth over $70 million, the free-agent class of 2018 have suffered from the opposite circumstances.

Teams across the league are too close to the cap to afford offering large contracts to non-star players; this leaves guys like Marcus Smart underpaid. The Bulls, Mavericks, Pacers, and Suns, teams that were rumored to be suitors for Smart’s talents, simply don’t posses the resources anymore to obtain him.

So what will Smart fetch on the open market?

The 24 year-old was quoted about his value fresh off a heartbreaking game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference finals. Smart stated

To be honest, I’m worth more than 12-14 million, Just for the things I do on the court that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You don’t find guys like that. I always leave everything on the court, every game. Tell me how many other players can say that.

This statement was deemed controversial by fans and media-members alike, not only due to the timing of it – many don’t think Smart is worth more than $10 million annually. He is.

Guys like Andre Roberson, who signed a 3-year, $30 million contract last summer, or Dante Exum, who’s new deal is worth 3-years and $33 million, play a similar role as Marcus, but are undoubtedly less effective. Smart deserves to be payed more than them, and he likely will be.

$12-14 million annually may be the sweet-spot that the Celtics and Smart could potentially agree upon. In my opinion, a 3-year deal worth $39 million would be ideal, as Smart would have the chance to hit free-agency in his prime, at 27 years-old, and the Celtics would retain a key piece to their puzzle on a relatively team-friendly deal.