Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics bought the offseason kicked off with a bang by buying and selling away Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis with a purpose to get themselves below the dreaded 2nd Apron. They adopted that up with a variety within the first spherical of the draft, a day two draft commerce, and a pair extra picks within the 2nd spherical (which by the best way, saved them much more cash).
Subsequent #Celtics date to observe: JD Davison’s workforce choice due SUN. Declining would drop C’s under the third tax bracket, deliver their tax hit right down to ~$43M & pull them inside $5.1M of the first apron line, $12.8M of the tax line
Not drafting a 2R to a roster deal saved them about $2.3M
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) June 27, 2025
Even with all that motion and exercise, we’re nonetheless just some days into the offseason calendar. It appears foolish to level this out, however there’s loads of time for Brad to maintain wheeling and dealing.
Notice: I consider the Celtics once they say they by no means critically thought-about buying and selling Brown or White. You at all times need to pay attention in case they provide a ridiculously silly overpay package deal, however even then you definitely nonetheless must put star stage expertise round Tatum or else you might be messing with one thing particular.
Free company will open quickly and among the trades which have been agreed to across the league haven’t even been finalized but. So there’s nonetheless an opportunity that the Celtics might broaden these offers or flip among the incoming gamers elsewhere.
The truth is, we’ve at the least two sources which have indicated that Stevens is attempting to do exactly that.
From MassLive’s Brian Robb
Nonetheless, with free company approaching and the Celtics prioritizing bringing again free brokers Al Horford and Luke Kornet, league sources inform MassLive that the Celtics are anticipated to stay energetic within the commerce market whereas retooling their roster. The workforce is anticipated to discover their choices with newly acquired expertise like Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang and different elements of the roster together with Sam Hauser.
From The Athletic’s Jay King
Seeking to proceed shedding wage, the Celtics have explored the concept of flipping Simons’ $27.7 million expiring contract, in keeping with league sources. In such a transfer, they’d be aiming to perform two organizational directives Brad Stevens emphasised after the primary spherical of the NBA Draft on Wednesday: regaining extra roster flexibility and establishing a path to retain free brokers Luke Kornet and Al Horford.
We’ve heard quite a bit from the Celtics about maximizing that flexibility. A few of that’s simply code for chopping prices. Nonetheless, these price chopping strikes do assist you to make strikes and will even open up sufficient house to assist us re-sign our facilities and/or dangle onto Sam Hauser (who’s on an excellent worth contract for his manufacturing).
Each Simons and Niang inherently give the Celtics flexibility since they’re on expiring contracts. They are often dealt straight away or the workforce might wait until the commerce deadline. These two together with Sam Hauser all possess the very useful skillset of with the ability to shoot the ball with excessive effectivity.
The roster and depth chart may not make a ton of sense at this second, and that’s okay. There’s nonetheless loads of time to place collectively a extra cohesive quick time period roster whereas sustaining the pliability to make strikes afterward. The workforce may not be keen to say this out loud, however it nearly doesn’t matter what the roster appears to be like like on opening night time. (And there will probably be no scarcity of mini-goals that the teaching workers can have for the gamers) So long as all of it is smart and is able to compete on the highest ranges when Jayson Tatum returns to the courtroom.
