Celtics guard Marcus Smart is sitting by his phone waiting for a call from the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2014, but he hasn't yet heard anything.
MORE: 2018 NBA Free Agency tracker - follow all the moves
Smart, 24, entered this offseason as a restricted free agent. The Celtics can match any offer submitted from another team. They can also offer him one themselves, but Smart has yet to receive one and he is upset about it, according to The Boston Herald.
“He loves the Celtics, but with these crickets he’s hearing, he’s hurt and disgusted by it,” a Herald source said.
“He would have thought there would have been some kind of three- to four-year deal from them to show they’re interested,” said the source. “But the qualifying offer is the only one he has received, and there’s been no talk since free agency opened. He’s most disappointed that there has been no reaching out from their end.
“He’s just hurt and frustrated that Danny (Ainge) hasn’t reached out. That’s the most discouraging part of this whole thing. The last contact was a few days before free agency started.”
Currently, the only offer Smart has received from the Celtics is a $ 6.05 million qualifying offer tendered June 29 to retain matching rights.
Dante Exum signed a three-year, $33 million contract with Utah as the only restricted free agent to sign a multi-year deal. Smart is hoping the pace for restricted free agents picks up soon.
Smart has averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game through four NBA seasons.