Marcus Smart. (Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Marcus Smart underwent surgery last Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
The injury may keep the guard out until the second round of the playoffs, provided the Celtics get there without him.
Does he think he'll be back?
"I am confident," he said. "I had one of the top doctors do it, the surgery was a success, and like she told me, might as well go and get it now, the quicker we can get it, the quicker the recovery, and you know, I'm real, real excited and eager to get out there, whenever that is--hopefully sooner than later."
"The team can, I think they're going to handle their business and have me back," he added.
If Smart can't return, though, it's possible he's played his final game for Boston. He's a restricted free agent this summer, which means the C's can match any offer he receives, but may not if the money gets crazy.
"I haven't really thought too much about that actually," Smart said. "My biggest concern is getting this fixed, and being ready for whenever I come back, so I haven't really given that much thought."
Pundits believe Smart could command anywhere between $8-15 million dollars a year.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports