The Boston Celtics are in a tricky situation this summer. While this offseason was supposed to be about how the Celtics could continue to be a championship contender while dealing with the penalties of the second apron, it has now turned into survival as Jayson Tatum recovers from injury.
Tatum is expected to miss a significant amount of next season after tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks. While he could make a return toward the end of the year, his availability is unknown, making this offseason a more difficult puzzle to put together.
Rumors about a blockbuster deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant or even phenom Cooper Flagg have surfaced at the beginning of the summer. But while Celtics fans may be penciling in a big name to plug into the starting lineup, it could be Tatum that holds everything up.
Celtics Could Take Different Offseason Path After Jayson Tatum’s Injury
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix attempted to paint the Celtics’ offseason picture during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston this week. While adding Antetokounmpo to Tatum in the long term sounds like a great idea, Mannix pumped the brakes due to the uncertainty of Tatum’s injury.
“You don’t trade for Giannis, or you don’t even try to trade for Giannis when you don’t know the health status of Jayson Tatum,” Mannix said. “Because even though right now the Bucks can deal with every team in the league because Giannis has two fully-guaranteed years left on his contract, you’ve got a bit of a window there.”
The pursuit of Antetokounmpo or any superstar were already complicated before Tatum’s injury. The Celtics are projected to have a payroll of $223.9 million next season, which is well above the NBA’s projected penalty for second apron teams at $207.7 million. That number doesn’t include pending free agents including Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Torrey Craig.
While the NBA has a set penalty and steeper penalties for teams that exceed the luxury tax in consecutive seasons, there are harsher punishments for teams that exceed the first and second aprons in the collective bargaining agreement.
The Celtics would need to shed $20 million this summer to get out of the second apron and another $12 million if they want to get out of the first apron. With five players scheduled to make in excess of $28 million next season and Tatum and Jaylen Brown scheduled to be on supermax deals at the same time, adding Antetokounmpo or Durant to the mix would be a counterproductive move – especially with Tatum’s injury.
With the Dallas Mavericks reportedly set on taking Flagg in the draft, the Celtics may have to wait a summer to make a blockbuster trade, turning most talk about a move for another star into a bunch of hot air.
More Boston Celtics News & Rumors: