As the NBA offseason draws closer, rumors surrounding the Boston Celtics are starting to heat up. Brad Stevens is expected to make changes to the current roster, primarily due to the approximately $500 million payroll the team is facing for next season once luxury taxes are factored into the equation.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee” show, NBA reporter Shams Charania provided an update on the current situation with the Celtics. Charania noted that Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser are the most likely to be traded. However, he also admitted that Boston could be open to moving on from Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, should they receive a strong enough offer.
“The primary focus, from my understanding, with the Celtics offseason is Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, and they’re trade markets,” Charania said. “Now, are teams making big offers and calling about Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? 100%. The Celtics prefer not to trade them, from my understanding. But, listen, if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything. And I think they’re going to get offers on the three guys that they’re focused on, they’re going to get offers potentially on Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, and I think between now and the draft and free agency, they’re going to evaluate what makes sense from a value perspective and that’s where they’re going to move.”
A significant catalyst for the potential changes heading toward the Celtics roster was Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon tear. Boston is unlikely to pay such a hefty price for a team that isn’t expected to contend for a championship next season. As such, Stevens could use the next 12-18 months as a way to re-tool the roster around Tatum while also getting younger and building for a sustainable contention window.
Holiday, Porzingis and Hauser will all have legitimate trade markets this summer. However, we won’t know how deep the roster changes are going to go until after the NBA draft. However, if Brown or White are moved in the coming months, the Celtics will likely be incredibly active in the trade market, both this summer and next.
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