The Boston Celtics, coming off profitable their record-setting 18th championship in 2024, had been hoping to repeat as champions for the primary time in additional than 55 years. As an alternative, Boston misplaced within the Jap Convention semifinals to the New York Knicks a month in the past, and it additionally may need misplaced famous person ahead Jayson Tatum for all of subsequent season due to an Achilles tear in Recreation 4 of that sequence.
In consequence, there could also be no workforce with extra offseason uncertainty than Boston.
The Celtics are coping with a brand new proprietor, Invoice Chisholm, who’s making ready to take over from longtime stewards Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca, they usually have a very costly roster that now would not seem it should compete for a championship anytime within the close to future.
That is why the widespread expectation is the Celtics will not change into the $500 million workforce (in mixed payroll and luxurious taxes) they at present are projected to be — and really properly may need been had they defended their title this postseason.
However what modifications will occur this offseason to keep away from that hefty tax invoice? Might Boston transfer one or two gamers to ease the monetary burden however maintain its core intact? Or might there be a a lot deeper reduce throughout the board, buying and selling a number of key contributors — a transfer that would go away Boston with a niche 12 months subsequent season after which permit the Celtics to place themselves to compete for the 2026-27 title when Tatum is wholesome and once more assumes his position as one of many league’s finest gamers.
The primary choice for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to make, nonetheless, is to find out what to do with the No. 28 choose in Wednesday’s NBA draft. And, as it is going to be for a lot of the league, the primary spherical might show pivotal in Boston’s subsequent strikes with the remainder of its roster, too. — Tim Bontemps
How the Celtics ought to strategy the draft
With the understanding that subsequent season might be a transition 12 months, the Celtics ought to see worth in rostering each their picks (No. 28 and No. 32). Growing cost-controlled roster depth has at all times been essential to Boston because of the dimension of its payroll.
Due to the impression of Tatum’s harm and the overhead want to chop prices, the Celtics can consider the larger image: The goal must be discovering gamers who can finest contribute to the subsequent iteration of the workforce, even when they are not essentially NBA-ready. Whereas expectations must be tempered this late within the draft, Boston notably snagged reigning Sixth Man of the 12 months Payton Pritchard with the No. 26 choose in 2020.
Barring a possibility to maneuver up within the draft, the Celtics will likely be ready to see who falls to their picks — whether or not it is a project-type participant akin to Drake Powell (North Carolina) or an older participant akin to Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) or Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), all of whom might be on the board at No. 28.
The questions of roster match and obtainable minutes will hinge extra on what Boston has deliberate on the commerce entrance — however contemplating the context of its offseason, the highest precedence ought to merely be figuring out one of the best expertise obtainable. — Jeremy Woo
Three commerce affords Boston can construct round
The Celtics face limitations as a workforce over the wage cap’s second apron. Boston is $23 million over, and until the Brooklyn Nets are prepared to soak up the $30.7 million expiring contract of middle Kristaps Porzingis, there isn’t a direct path to getting underneath the apron with one singular commerce. Shedding wage will doubtless require a number of strikes.
Below these tips, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton has really helpful three commerce affords, with NBA Entrance Workplace Insider ESPN’s Bobby Marks deciding on the Celtics’ most lifelike path:
Boston Celtics get: Ahead P.J. Washington Jr.
Dallas Mavericks get: Guard Jrue Vacation
Brooklyn Nets get: Guard Jaden Hardy, ahead Caleb Martin, 2027 first-round choose (through Celtics)
LA Clippers get: Ahead Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Luxurious tax financial savings: Roughly $135-140 million
Dallas has been linked to Vacation, a logical match for the Mavericks due to his potential to function a major ball handler subsequent season with Kyrie Irving finishing his ACL rehab. He then might slide to the wing as soon as Irving returns to the lineup.
Due to Dallas’ cap construction, getting Vacation would nearly definitely price a key contributor. Washington, who will likely be displaced by the potential arrival of No. 1 choose Cooper Flagg, is one of the best match for Boston.
Washington might likewise fill in for Jayson Tatum at ahead subsequent season and play alongside him past that. (Washington is coming into the ultimate season of his contract, making $14.1 million, and the Celtics must attain an extension or re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent subsequent summer time.)
Shifting the opposite Mavericks on this commerce to different groups produces large financial savings for Boston, which might get inside putting distance of ducking the second apron.
On this proposal, Brooklyn makes use of a few of its league-high cap area to tackle the three remaining years of Martin’s contract in trade for a 2027 first-rounder, whereas the Clippers take a flier on Prosper two years after he was a first-round choose.
Supply No. 2: Commerce Kristaps Porzingis
Boston Celtics get: Ahead Brandon Clarke, middle Jay Huff
Chicago Bulls get: Facilities Kristaps Porzingis and Xavier Tillman
Memphis Grizzlies get: Guard Talen Horton-Tucker (through sign-and-trade), middle Nikola Vucevic, 2030 second-round choose (through Bulls)
Luxurious tax financial savings: Roughly $135-140 million
This proposal shuffles massive males, profiting from the flexibility for each Chicago and Memphis so as to add wage with out going into the luxurious tax to permit Boston to successfully stepladder down from Porzingis’ $30.7 million wage to Clarke, who makes $12.5 million.
The Bulls get 5 years youthful within the center by swapping Vucevic for Porzingis. In the meantime, the Grizzlies could be including extra dependable dimension with 2024 first-round choose Zach Edey prone to miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season following ankle surgical procedure. An extra, low-key profit for Memphis? Getting out of Clarke’s wage in 2026-27, when Jaren Jackson Jr. will doubtless be beginning an enormous new contract.
Though he isn’t a 3-point shooter, having made only one in every of the previous three seasons, Clarke brings positional versatility to the Celtics’ remade frontcourt. And Huff might assist Boston as a stretch massive, having hit 40.5% of his 200 3-point makes an attempt final season earlier than falling out of the Grizzlies’ rotation late within the common season. New Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo did not appear as keen on Huff as predecessor Taylor Jenkins.
Boston Celtics get: Heart Duop Reath
Portland Path Blazers get: Ahead Sam Hauser, middle Xavier Tillman, 2031 second-round choose
Luxurious-tax financial savings: Roughly $80-85 million
As a result of Hauser’s $10 million wage suits into the non-taxpayer exception, which may now be used so as to add wage in trades, dealing him away with out taking again an identical contract is the best manner for Boston to chop its tax invoice. The LA Clippers and Sacramento Kings would even be cheap suitors for Hauser, although the Clippers’ 2026 cap-space aspirations might complicate their curiosity and the Kings would possibly really feel like Jake LaRavia fills this want at ahead.
As a reserve in Portland, Hauser — who has hit 42% of his profession 3-pointers — would instantly change into the workforce’s finest shooter and supply helpful spacing for the Blazers’ creating guards. Portland additionally pockets a second-round choose by swapping Reath, who noticed restricted motion final season because of the workforce’s crowded depth chart at middle, for Tillman.
Hauser has been an incredible discover for the Celtics, who developed him from an undrafted free agent right into a key contributor to their title workforce. However given Boston’s payroll, he’s actually a luxurious the Celtics can afford to do with out as they attempt to develop the subsequent Hauser.
What GM Bobby Marks would do …
The simple path (and in addition probably the most unlikely) could be for Boston to dial up Brooklyn and supply Porzingis and this 12 months’s No. 28 choose in an entire wage dump. Whereas that transfer drops Boston beneath the second apron, it doesn’t assist the product on the courtroom now or into the long run.
Contemplating that Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are underneath contract by means of at the least the 2028-29 season, the purpose for Boston is to chop prices but additionally contend for championships, all whereas remaining a playoff workforce subsequent season even with out Tatum.
How the Celtics accomplish that’s in two separate trades.
The primary is the four-team commerce that sends Vacation to Dallas and Washington to Boston. Whereas there’s a void at level guard with Vacation off the roster (doubtless crammed by Derrick White), the Celtics discover a short-term substitute in Washington. The commerce saves Boston almost $140 million subsequent season and in addition permits the workforce to increase Washington at half of Vacation’s wage in 2026-27.
Second, to get totally beneath the second apron and determine a place of want, particularly with the uncertainty of free brokers Al Horford and Luke Kornet, the Celtics are swapping out Sam Hauser for Duop Reath.
The 2 separate trades not solely save Boston over $300 million in wage but additionally fortify its frontcourt.
