Marcus Smart just got paid, and it’s a win for everybody

Marcus Smart isn’t taking his talents anywhere other than Boston this year, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always be there.

Fire up the Smart Money puns, because they’re going to be everywhere. After sniffing around a market that failed to offer him anything, restricted free agent Marcus Smart is returning to the Boston Celtics on a four-year deal.

It ends drama that really never started, as the idea of Smart leaving was never earth shattering and there clearly wasn’t that much interest in him elsewhere. He’s a decent role player in the right system, and that system is run by Brad Stevens.

The smartest move he could have made was staying in Boston, as this seems like a mutal fit for both sides — for now.

That’s a fantastically affordable deal, one that could very easily be used in a trade down the road. You can always turn to Celtics fans for ridiculous trade proposals, like how Terry Rozier would be enough to acquire the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain, but Smart is an interesting chip.

If Boston gets in on the trade market, should someone like Anthony Davis or Jimmy Butler become available, it’s not wild to think that Smart would be used in a deal. In fact, his contract all but assures he would be involved in a trade as he’d act as money filler.

All of that is wildly speculative, but it’s an option Boston has in its pocket now that the deal is official. Every indication is that the Celtics love Smart and want to keep him around, so this was the ending everyone wanted. That doesn’t mean it’s the final destiation, but it’s a pretty good place to coast for a while.

Smart can also celebrate the fact that he just got paid. It’s a win-win for all.