As the Boston Celtics get the offseason going, the team has a lot of questions around the roster. Due to salary issues, the Celtics front office is expected to shed salary this summer.
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However, what this exactly entails remains unknown at this time. But many around the NBA are expecting the Celtics to slash a ton of salary, potentially even by moving some key pieces.
In a new trade from ESPN, the Celtics make an underrated move to cut salary. Instead of moving some of the star players, Boston unloads some rotation pieces to land a center.
Boston Celtics get: Center Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers get: Forward Sam Hauser, center Xavier Tillman, 2031 second-round pick
"Because Hauser's $10 million salary fits into the non-taxpayer exception, which can now be used to add salary in trades, dealing him away without taking back a matching contract is the simplest way for Boston to cut its tax bill....Hauser has been a great find for the Celtics, who developed him from an undrafted free agent into a key contributor to their title team. But given Boston's payroll, he is truly a luxury the Celtics can afford to do without as they try to develop the next Hauser."
Unloading the contract of Hauser makes a lot of sense and is seen as a move that Boston is expected to make this summer. But getting back Reath could be very interesting for the Celtics.
Reath has been buried on the Trail Blazers' depth chart due to a logjam in the frontcourt. But he can play and potentially make some contributions to the Boston rotation.
Last season, Reath averaged 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game. But his 2023-24 campaign was much better as he put up 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.
Reath can also space the floor a little, shooting 32.1 percent for his career. If anything, he could give the Celtics some nice minutes off the bench for this coming season.
This could be an underrated move by Boston and one that helps the salary issues greatly.
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