Celtics Widely Expected To Make Offseason Roster Changes

After winning a title in 2024, the Celtics brought back essentially the same team this season, parting ways with only a couple reserves. No NBA team retained more players from the end of the 2023/24 season to the start of ’24/25 than Boston (15).

However, even if the Celtics repeat as champions this spring, they’re unlikely to maintain that sort of continuity going forward, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week (YouTube link), Charania said Boston is widely expected to make cost-cutting moves that will impact its roster this offseason.

“The rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come to the Celtics roster this offseason,” Charania said (hat tip to RealGM). “Sources have been telling me for weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the offseason.

“This iteration just is not going to be sustainable for this team and no one around the organization – from players to staffers – would be surprised if there are changes coming to this roster. Because when you think about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s restrictions that come with trades, there’s restrictions that come with freezing of draft picks. That’s all stuff that they’re dealing with right now.”

As Charania observes, star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will both be on super-max contracts in 2025/26 and beyond, with Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday also set to earn between $28.1MM and $32.4MM apiece next season. Those five players on their own will earn a combined $198.5MM, which exceeds the projected first tax apron ($195.9MM).

In total, Boston has about $221MM in guaranteed money committed to nine players and will still need to add at least five more players to that count. Even if those last five players are earning minimum-salary deals, the Celtics’ team salary would soar past the second apron ($207.8MM), setting the club up to pay a massive tax bill as the more punitive repeater penalties go into effect. It would also place serious limitations on what the front office can do in free agency and on the trade market.

[RELATED: Celtics’ Wyc Grousbeck Talks Tax Aprons, Sale, Chisholm, Arena]

What form Boston’s roster changes take remains an open question, one that figures to be decided at least in part by how the team performs during the remainder of its postseason run. While it’s possible a starter like Porzingis or Holiday ends up on the trade block this summer, the team also may look to make tweaks around the edges, perhaps including a role player like Sam Hauser.

If the Celtics’ new ownership group is comfortable paying substantial tax penalties, there won’t necessarily be urgency to get below the second apron right away, but the longer the team continues to operate above that threshold, the more limited its roster-building options become — a team that remains above the second apron for several years at a time would have a handful of future first-round picks “frozen” (ineligible to be traded) and moved to the back of the first round.

For now, Boston’s focus is on winning a second consecutive title, but teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on the defending champions and are curious to see what’s in store for them this offseason, according to Charania.

“None of these changes are at the top of mind for the Celtics now, they can’t be,” Charania said. “This is obviously the most talented team in the league. I think a lot of people would agree with that. So these are good problems to have, but the league is bracing for some level of change to come to this Celtics roster in the offseason.”

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