The Boston Celtics have taken significant steps this summer to navigate salary cap challenges, particularly in light of superstar Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, which will sideline him for the 2025-26 season. The critical inquiry now is whether the Celtics can reclaim their status as a top team once Tatum is back in action, a question posed by a leading NBA insider.
In order to fall beneath the second tax apron of $207.8 million, the Celtics traded away pivotal players Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — integral to their championship pursuits in the 2023-24 season — sending Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Remaining above this financial threshold would have resulted in severe repercussions for the franchise, including restrictions on sign-and-trade moves, the inability to deal future first-round picks, and a loss of access to the mid-level exception.
Holiday is set to receive $104.4 million over the three remaining seasons of his contract, while Porzingis has $30.7 million due in the last year of his deal.
The team is also considering the possibility of trading Jaylen Brown — who is owed $236.1 million over the next four years — and Derrick White — who has a contract totaling $125.8 million for the same duration. This approach could further help the team reset its salary cap and recover valuable assets.
“The organization anticipated this scenario; discussions were already underway even as they dominated Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals,” reports John Hollinger of The Athletic. “According to the repeater penalty outlined in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Boston must conclude the 2025-26 season below the luxury-tax threshold, requiring them to trim $20 million from their payroll to achieve that.”
He added, “Despite the difficulties, the Celtics have managed to make these changes with minimal disruption. Offloading Holiday while acquiring two second-round picks was a notable achievement, and they could potentially gain significant draft assets if they move other key players such as Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Jaylen Brown.”
Nonetheless, Hollinger raises concerns about the team’s ability to re-establish itself as a contender upon Tatum’s return from injury.
“The true test may arise next summer. After dismantling so much, how can the Celtics efficiently rebuild to thrive again with a healthy Tatum on board?”
The Celtics aim to reclaim title contention once Tatum is back for the 2026-27 season. However, if they decide to part ways with Brown and White for salary reasons, reascension to the pinnacle could prove challenging without those veterans on the roster.
Image Source: Jayson Tatum @ Instagram
