Paul Pierce thinks Marcus Smart is going to be a Celtic come October

Paul Pierce thinks Marcus Smart is going to be a Boston Celtic come October.

If Smart loves it there as much as we think he does, that's good news for all, though Marcus may not be so keen on the rest of the Truth's prediction.

Now that money around the league has more or less dried up, Smart may just have to suck it up and deal with taking the qualifying offer.

Personally, I think a deal could be struck that keeps Boston under the tax while also giving Marcus more than the qualifying offer can still be struck, structured so Smart can take home $7.5 million in guaranteed money, with another $1.5 in unlikely bonuses (perhaps structured around having his effective field goal percentage above a certain amount) this season, with a second year at $8.1 million with the same unlikely bonuses.



That would let Smart earn as much as more than half again what he'd likely be looking at otherwise at roughly $9 million per season, and let Marcus be ready to hit free agency when there's actually money to be spent in the NBA again.

I wouldn't put too much stock into rumors about Marcus in the meantime, however - if it's not an official notice of an offer sheet, it's probably not worth worrying about. Until we have some kind of resolution, watch the video above to hear Paul's take on Smart's free agency.

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