NBA Free Agency: 5(ish) best free agents still available

Marcus Smart doesn’t light up the box score and won’t wow the advanced stat crowd with his offensive efficiency. At times, he’ll make you want to pull your hair out.

But he brings an attitude and an intensity that can’t be quantified or understated. His defensive presence on the perimeter is second to none in the NBA. And Smart is going to come up with at least a couple plays, night in and night out, that make the difference between a win and a loss in a close game.

Smart knows this. After four years spent in Boston, the Celtics know it.

The question is how much the Celtics value it, how cognizant other NBA teams are of the value he adds, and what their valuation of said value is. As a restricted free agent, Smart has a qualifying offer on the table from the Celtics that would pay him just over $6 million next season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2019. As the season came to a close, he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in taking a hometown discount and felt he was worth an extension and an eight-figure annual salary.

Over the last 24 hours, rumors that the Kings have serious interest have been reported and last night, Smart and his agent met with Nets general manager, Sean Marks, during a Summer League game in Las Vegas last night (evidence below).

Boston will have the opportunity to match any outside offers but given the numbers that the Kings are rumored to be offering and the Celtics’ other salary cap commitments, they may have a difficult decision to make within the next few days.