Celtics
“The two separate trades not only save Boston over $300 million in salary but also fortify its frontcourt."
Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday (4) during the second half of Game 6 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks Friday, May 16, 2025, in New York.
Jrue Holiday could be on the outs this offseason due to the Celtics' payroll crunch. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
With the Oklahoma City Thunder clinching a championship on Sunday night, the NBA offseason has officially arrived.
And Brad Stevens and the Celtics have plenty of work to do when it comes to cutting payroll and getting Boston under the restrictive second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax threshold this summer.
With Jayson Tatum’s supermax extension (five years, $313 million) set to kick in for the 2025-26 season and the current CBA structured to punish teams routinely operating above the luxury tax, Boston is set to receive a hefty bill next season.
As noted by MassLive’s Brian Robb, the Celtics’ current committed payroll for the upcoming 2025-26 season is already sitting around $225 million. Along with Boston’s projected $233 million in full roster payroll next year, the Celtics are also set to be hit with a whopping $280 million in luxury taxes.
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That stands as a $513 million payroll for next season, surpassing the record-setting $388 million payroll that the 2023-24 Warriors had to stomach as a result of their steep contract payouts and luxury-tax infractions.
Considering both that ballooning bill and the fact that Boston could be looking at a bridge year with Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles, the Celtics are likely looking to dump some contracts in the coming weeks.
And former ESPN NBA front office insider and former Brooklyn Nets general manager Bobby Marks believes that there’s two moves Boston can make to significantly lower that luxury-tax bill moving forward.
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While Marks initially floated a trade that would send Kristaps Porzingis (and Boston’s first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft) to the Nets in a pure salary dump, he instead opted for a pair of trades drummed up by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton that would allow the Celtics to get under that second apron.
TRADE 1
Boston Celtics get: Forward P.J. Washington Jr.
Dallas Mavericks get: Guard Jrue Holiday
Brooklyn Nets get: Guard Jaden Hardy, forward Caleb Martin, 2027 first-round pick (via Celtics)
LA Clippers get: Forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Trade 2
Boston Celtics get: Center Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers get: Forward Sam Hauser, center Xavier Tillman, 2031 second-round pick
Even if the Celtics would miss Holiday’s veteran leadership and defense — along with Hauser’s 3-point shooting off the bench — moving on from those two contracts could pay off for Boston in the long run as they reset their books and try to build a new winning roster around Tatum and Co.
“The two separate trades not only save Boston over $300 million in salary but also fortify its frontcourt,” Marks noted.
Considering how much the repeater tax penalties are set to bloat Boston’s payroll moving forward, even moving on from a seemingly market-value contract like Hauser’s (four years, $45 million) would lead to major savings when factoring in the luxury tax.
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And even with the loss of Hauser and Holiday, Boston would add some depth up front with both Washington and Reath.
Although Marks’ deals didn’t include Porzingis, the depth behind the big man could be lacking moving forward — especially if both Horford and Kornet sign elsewhere.
Profile image for Conor Ryan
Conor Ryan
Sports Writer
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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