The Boston Celtics have executed one of the most dramatic financial pivots in recent NBA memory. Just ten days ago, they were staring down a massive $540 million bill in combined payroll and luxury tax penalties.
Fast forward to now, and that burden has been slashed nearly in half, to a much more manageable $280 million, all thanks to two blockbuster trades: shipping Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Celtics have saved approximately $260 million in potential luxury tax payments through these two deals. Their projected salary for the upcoming 2025–26 season now sits at $203 million, placing them $4.8 million below the second apron, a critical financial threshold in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Falling below the second apron is vital; teams over that line are slammed with some of the harshest roster-building restrictions in the league, including limitations on trades, sign-and-trades, and mid-level exceptions.
For a team that was teetering on financial disaster, this reset couldn’t have come at a better time, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding Jayson Tatum. Boston’s franchise cornerstone is expected to miss most, if not all of the upcoming season after undergoing immediate surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
Best-case projections suggest a potential return in late March or April, but the Celtics have little incentive to rush him back.
That injury has forced the Celtics’ hand and opened up conversations that seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago. At the start of June, Boston was reportedly unwilling to entertain offers for their “Big Three” of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White.
Now, league insiders suggest that while the team isn’t actively shopping Brown or White, they’re listening and would consider compelling trade offers.
Jaylen Brown, fresh off signing the richest contract in NBA history last summer, remains a polarizing figure among fans and analysts.
With Tatum sidelined, he’ll be tasked with carrying a larger offensive load, unless the front office uses him as bait to move up in the 2025 NBA Draft. Shams Charania has reported that Boston is eyeing draft mobility and could be tempted if the right offer lands on the table.
Meanwhile, Derrick White’s name continues to gain traction around the league. The Lakers, in particular, have shown interest. LeBron James recently praised White’s incredible underdog journey from being unranked in high school with zero Division I offers to becoming an NBA champion and elite two-way guard.
For teams looking to contend, White’s combination of poise, perimeter defense, and timely shot-making is highly coveted.
Yet despite the drastic roster changes and Tatum’s injury, Boston still has a pathway to contention.
The cap relief allows them to stay nimble, avoid the most punishing tax penalties, and potentially rebuild around their young talent while staying competitive in the East.
With their financial future now stabilized and key decisions looming, the Celtics have effectively bought themselves time and flexibility, a rare commodity for title contenders caught in the second apron squeeze.
What once looked like a disastrous offseason may now be Boston’s most strategic reset in years.
