Boston Celtics 2025 off-season outlook
(updated with reports through mid-June 2025)
| Core under contract | 2025-26 salary | Years left | Trade limitation?* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum (PO ‘26-27) | $53.7 M | 2 | none |
| Jaylen Brown | $60.2 M | 4 | can be dealt at any time (one-year anniversary of ’24 super-max has passed) |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | $31.7 M | 2 | 15-Dec lift |
| Jrue Holiday | $29.7 M | 3 | none |
| Derrick White | $22.5 M | 4 | none |
*CBA trade-aggregation dates. Figures: Spotrac / ESPN cap guide. ESPN.com
Boston projects to be $25-30 million over the second-apron once team options and minimum holds are applied. Under the new CBA that means:
- no sign-and-trades coming in
- no aggregating salary in trades
- no cash in trades, no mid-level, no buy-out additions after 1 March
So Brad Stevens has two broad paths:
1️⃣ “Run-it-back-plus” (most likely)
| micro-moves | why it’s realistic |
|---|---|
| Pick-up Sam Hauser’s $2 M team option, then extend (up-to 4 yrs/≈$48 M) | elite 3-pt spacer (43 %), cheap Bird-rights hedge against future tax penalties |
| Extend Derrick White (can add 4 yrs, ~$125 M starting 2026) | locks in top-five guard defender before cap spikes again |
| Use only minimum contracts to fill the 11-15 spots (ring-chasing vets, two-way conversions: Jordan Walsh, JD Davison) | avoids hard-cap triggers; keep cohesion |
| Porziņģis injury hedge: veteran minimum flyer on a physical rim-protector (e.g., Bismack Biyombo) | playoff insurance without touching apron |
Why Jaylen Brown is not traded here
- The team finished #1 in net rating and lost in the Finals; ownership will tolerate the tax for another shot.
- Trading a $60 M player under aprons rules almost guarantees a talent downgrade.
2️⃣ “Star-consolidation trade” (low probability, splashy)
If ownership decides the tax is unsustainable or the locker-room chemistry truly soured.
| step | mechanics under the second apron |
|---|---|
| Shop Brown (or Porziņģis) singly for multiple cheaper rotation pieces + draft capital | legal because outgoing salary can exceed incoming (apron teams cannot aggregate, but can trade one large contract) |
| Targets that fit salary bands: • Brandon Ingram (expiring $36 M) • Lauri Markkanen ($18 M bargain, would require Utah picks sweetener) • Mikal Bridges ($23 M, Nets asking price = gargantuan) | teams with assets & motivation to add a star |
| Immediate benefit | drops Boston below 2nd apron → mid-level available, trade aggregation restored next July |
| Risk | Tatum extension talks (eligible July 2025) could sour if roster is seen as cost-cutting NBC Sports Boston |
3️⃣ Marginal “tax-dump” moves (moderate chance)
| candidate | reason | savings |
|---|---|---|
| Payton Pritchard (2 yrs, $8 M AAV) | buried in playoffs; value around league | $7 M |
| Oshae Brissett (PO $2.9 M) | replaceable with two-way | $2 M |
| Future second-rounders attached to ship them to cap-space teams (Detroit, San Antonio) | keeps core, trims tax bill | — |
What an “ideal” depth chart looks like on opening night
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday | White | Brown | Tatum | Porziņģis |
| Pritchard | Hauser | Walsh | Kornet-type vet | Biyombo-type vet |
Verdict
- Expectation: Celtics keep Brown, hand White an extension, and scour the vet-minimum market for a rugged backup 5 and an extra wing.
- Wild-card: If ownership demands an apron escape, a Brown-for-assets swap becomes the one legal lever—though league insiders rate it “unlikely unless Jaylen requests out.”
- Key metric to watch: July 23-Aug 6 Tatum super-max extension window; if he signs quickly, it signals ownership’s willingness to bankroll a record tax bill. Delay would hint at larger structural changes ahead.
With a league-best core in its prime and few realistic trade upsides, “running it back” with finer depth tweaks remains the smartest—and most probable—play.
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