NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Charlotte Hornets
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Charlotte Hornets.
Free agent signings
Tre Mann: Three years, $24,000,000. Third-year team option. Includes back-related injury protection. Re-signed using Bird rights.- Spencer Dinwiddie: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Mason Plumlee: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Terrell Brown: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Marcus Garrett: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Keyontae Johnson: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Isaih Moore: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- DJ Rodman: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Brandon Slater: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
- Acquired Collin Sexton and either the Jazz’s or Clippers’ 2030 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Jazz in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic.
- Acquired Vasilije Micic, the draft rights to Liam McNeeley (No. 29 pick), and either the Timberwolves’ (top-five protected), Cavaliers’, or Jazz’s 2029 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable) from the Suns in exchange for Mark Williams and the Suns’ 2029 second-round pick.
- Acquired Pat Connaughton, the Bucks’ 2031 second-round pick, and the Bucks’ 2032 second-round pick from the Bucks in exchange for Vasilije Micic.
Draft picks
- 1-4: Kon Knueppel
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $45,487,013).
- 1-29: Liam McNeeley
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,194,138).
- 2-33: Sion James
- Signed to four-year, $9,968,963 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- 2-34: Ryan Kalkbrenner
- Signed to four-year, $9,968,963 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Two-way signings
- Drew Peterson
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee.
- Antonio Reeves
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee.
Note: The Hornets carried over KJ Simpson on a two-way contract from 2024/25.
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Seth Curry (unsigned)
- Taj Gibson (unsigned)
- Wendell Moore Jr. (unsigned)
Other roster moves
- Waived DaQuan Jeffries (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived Josh Okogie (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived Damion Baugh (two-way contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $171.5MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $195,945,000.
The offseason so far
Since taking over as the Hornets’ president of basketball operations in March of 2024, Jeff Peterson has shown little urgency to accelerate the team’s rebuilding process. Charlotte, which last appeared in the playoffs in 2016, has the NBA’s longest active postseason drought and hasn’t won a playoff series since returning to the league as an expansion team in 2004, but Peterson and his front office are showing patience as they attempt to build the roster into one capable of sustained success.
That philosophy was evident again this summer. The Hornets entered the offseason with a pretty favorable cap situation and could have used their full mid-level exception on a free agent addition while remaining comfortably below the luxury tax line. However, the front office instead focused on building through the draft and accumulating draft assets on the trade market, while the club’s only forays into free agency involved re-signing its own players or bringing in minimum-salary veterans.
Let’s start with the draft, where the Hornets made four picks in the top 34 and subsequently signed all four players to standard contracts. With the No. 4 overall selection, Charlotte took the relatively safe route by adding Duke sharpshooter Kon Knueppel. The one-and-done wing should have a high floor as a pro, but his ceiling is probably quite a bit lower than that of Ace Bailey, who fell to Utah at No. 5.
There’s a case to be made that the Hornets should have rolled the dice on Bailey, the player with greater star potential, but they didn’t get a chance to visit with or work out the former Rutgers standout, who was believed to be trying to steer his way to Washington at No. 6. With incumbent cornerstones LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller coming off injury-shortened seasons, the Hornets decided to prioritize stability over a higher-risk, higher-reward option. And while Knueppel may not become a superstar, he absolutely has the chance to become one of the NBA’s very best shooters while holding his own on defense.
With the 29th, 33rd, and 34th overall picks, Charlotte drafted UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Knueppel’s former Duke teammate Sion James, and Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, respectively. Once again, the Hornets took a more conservative approach with these picks — McNeeley had been projected by draft experts to come off the board much earlier in the first round, so he was a solid value at No. 29, while James and Kalkbrenner were five-year college players who have had plenty of time to hone their games and could be ready to contribute at the NBA level right away.
Kalkbrenner, in particular, could have an immediate path to rotation minutes in a fairly thin Charlotte frontcourt. James will likely have to rely on his defense to earn him playing time, while McNeeley will have to get back on track after a poor shooting performance in his only college season. Playing alongside Ball and/or Tre Mann should benefit McNeeley in a major way after he spent his freshman year on a Huskies team that operated without a true point guard.
The Hornets acquired the pick they used on McNeeley as part of a trade sending Mark Williams to Phoenix. It was actually the second time the front office had agreed to trade Williams — a deal with the Lakers at last season’s trade deadline fell through due to concerns about his physical. Whether the Hornets share those concerns about the big man’ long-term health or whether they just weren’t especially bullish about his long-term upside, it was clear he was no longer part of their future plans.
Taking into account a subsequent trade involving Vasilije Micic, who was sent from Phoenix to Charlotte in the Williams deal and then flipped to Milwaukee, the Hornets’ total haul for Williams consisted of McNeeley, Pat Connaughton, a 2029 first-round pick, and a future second-round pick (they gave up a second-rounder in the Suns trade but got two back in their deal with the Bucks).
Given that the first-rounder includes “least favorable” language and seems likely to land in the 20s, the return might not be as strong as the package Charlotte nearly acquired from the Lakers at the trade deadline (Dalton Knecht, a future unprotected first-rounder, and a first-round swap). But if McNeeley can develop into a reliable rotation player, it should end up looking fine for the Hornets, who would have had to pay Williams on his second contract beginning in 2026 if they’d hung onto him.
The Hornets’ other offseason trade wasn’t as significant as the one involving Williams, but it was curious for a couple reasons. For one, I’m not sure how Charlotte managed to extract a second-round pick from Utah while swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Collin Sexton, given that both players are on nearly identical expiring contracts and Nurkic – who is older than Sexton by five years – saw his playing time and production fall off last season. That was good work by the front office.
On the other hand, the Hornets’ backcourt is far more crowded than its center spot, so the trade wasn’t an obvious fit from a depth chart perspective. But with Ball and Mann both coming off injuries, acquiring another guard who can handle the ball made some amount of sense for Charlotte.
Speaking of Mann, even though he was limited to just 13 games last season due to a back injury, he was rewarded in free agency with a three-year, $24MM contract. The deal includes a third-year team option and some injury protection for the Hornets in the event that same back issue resurfaces, but it’s still a nice payday for Mann, who was productive (12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, .446/.377/.797 shooting) in 41 games for Charlotte across parts of two seasons before being sidelined.
The Hornets brought in some additional depth at the point and in the middle by signing free agents Spencer Dinwiddie and Mason Plumlee to minimum-salary contracts. Neither Dinwiddie nor Plumlee is likely to play a starring role in Charlotte, but they’re reliable veterans who can give the team 15-20 minutes per night if needed.
Up next
Even after waiving DaQuan Jeffries earlier this month, the Hornets have a bit of a roster crunch to deal with before the regular season begins, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts and Moussa Diabate (on a non-guaranteed contract) looking likely to make the roster.
If Charlotte chooses to simply waive two players in order to set its 15-man regular season roster, Connaughton and former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. look like the odd men out to me.
Diabate’s non-guaranteed contract would normally make him an obvious release candidate, but he gave the team good minutes last season and could even have a path to a starting role this fall, with just Kalkbrenner and Plumlee as his primary competition at center. Dinwiddie and Plumlee are on small expiring contracts, but probably wouldn’t have been given guaranteed salaries two months ago if the plan was to waive either of them.
If the Hornets want to hang onto Connaughton’s expiring contract for midseason trade purposes or if they liked what they saw from Smith down the stretch last season, maybe they try to make a trade to open up a spot to keep one of them. But most teams won’t be looking to shake up their rosters during the preseason, and there are only so many legitimate trade candidates on the Hornets’ roster. Josh Green and Grant Williams could be a couple to watch.
Green and Williams are two of the Hornets’ players eligible for contract extensions, along with Sexton and Connaughton, but I’d be surprised if the team completes any extensions before the season tips off. The front office likely wants to keep its cap sheet relatively clean going forward, and none of those four players are obvious long-term keepers for the organization.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Beverley, Young, Achiuwa, Herro
The Wizards’ expectations for the upcoming season remain modest. It’s all about player development and growth, not wins.
“Roster-wise, we’re still in the early stages of the rebuild,” general manager Will Dawkins told the media on Wednesday, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “This offseason we decided to lean into the youth movement more… we like the unpredictability and the competition it’s going to bring.”
Washington is coming off an 18-64 season and it’s going to be a slow climb to get back to respectability. The Wizards will have to convey their first-round pick to the Knicks if it falls out of the top eight, giving them even more incentive to keep their win total low.
“We will not skip steps,” Dawkins said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “We will not take shortcuts.”
The Wizards have 13 players under the age of 25 and they’ll battle for playing time.
“We do not have the same level of experience or established players as we’ve had in the previous [seasons], which is fine,” Dawkins said. “We do, however, have depth. And I know we like the unpredictability and the competition that we think it’s going to breed. So for us, we view the upcoming season as a season of opportunity.”
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Former NBA guard Patrick Beverley ripped Hawks star guard Trae Young on a podcast, stating “I’ve talked to people who played in Atlanta. They don’t wanna play there. Why? They don’t think he’s a good leader. They don’t think he’s a good teammate. You can make all the money you want. You can have all the leading assists you want. You can do all that. If you don’t win, that s— won’t matter. If you don’t win, when you retire they’re gonna forget your name.” Young offered this response, per The Athletic’s John Hollinger: “You don’t know what it’s like to be in my position, you don’t know what it’s like to put my shoes on. The numbers generate the way they do. But I promise you — there’s not a selfish bone in my body.”
- Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year contract with the Heat. It’s a non-guaranteed deal and comes with a $2.3MM cap hit not becoming fully guaranteed until Jan. 10. The addition of Achiuwa adds some much-needed size to the Heat’s roster, joining Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as the only centers on Miami’s standard roster, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes. At least in the short term, the move does not have an impact regarding Terry Rozier, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. Rozier is guaranteed $24.9MM this season on his $26.6MM salary — waiving him would bring Miami under the luxury tax.
- Tyler Herro will not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery. How will the Heat replace him in the short term? Davion Mitchell will likely move into the starting lineup alongside offseason acquisition Norman Powell, who figures to have a prominent role offensively with Herro sidelined, according to Chiang. Pelle Larsson could see more minutes and even Rozier could force his way into the mix with a strong training camp.
Kings, Warriors Resume Kuminga Sign-And-Trade Talks
After going more than a month without engaging in discussions regarding a potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, the Kings and Warriors resumed their conversations earlier this week, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
According to Amick, the two Pacific Division rivals didn’t make significant progress in those talks, but the fact that they happened at all indicates that Sacramento hasn’t closed the door on making a move for the restricted free agent forward.
The Kings were considered the top rival suitor earlier in the offseason for Kuminga, offering him a three-year, $63MM contract and offering Golden State a package of Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick.
As Amick writes, there are a number of reasons why the Warriors turned down that offer. For one, they don’t appear all that enthusiastic about acquiring Monk — there are questions about his fit on the roster, plus his $21.6MM player option for 2027/28 doesn’t appeal to Golden State from a cap perspective. According to Amick, the Warriors would likely want to flip Monk to another team, but it’s unclear if such an opportunity would be available at this point.
Another potential sticking point for the Warriors is the fact that swapping Kuminga straight up for Monk would hard-cap the team at the first tax apron due to base year compensation rules. That would complicate Golden State’s ability to fill out the rest of its roster, including signing Al Horford using the taxpayer mid-level exception.
The Warriors would likely have to trade either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody to a third team to avoid that first-apron hard cap. Prior reporting stated that Golden State didn’t have much interest in taking that route, and Amick suggests that stance has only gotten stronger as of late.
Finally, while Sacramento is unlikely to entirely remove the protections from the 2030 first-round pick they’re including in their offer, the Warriors would likely want those protections lightened in order to seriously consider making a deal with the Kings, Amick continues. In Sacramento’s current offer, the Warriors would receive the least favorable of the Kings’ and Spurs’ 2031 first-rounders if the 2030 pick lands in the lottery.
Recent reporting indicated that Golden State has made new offers to Kuminga, including one three-year, $75MM proposal that includes a third-year team option. However, the 22-year-old’s agent, Aaron Turner, continues to suggest that accepting the $8MM qualifying offer – which comes with a no-trade clause and a clear path to 2026 unrestricted free agency – is a viable option for his client.
Turner told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday that the Warriors’ insistence on a team option in the final year of their two- and three-year offers has been a sticking point for Kuminga and his reps.
Kuminga has until October 1 to sign his qualifying offer, so resolution should come – one way or another – within the next week.
Jazz, Walker Kessler Unlikely To Reach Extension Agreement
Despite having held “multiple meetings”over the summer, the Jazz and fourth-year center Walker Kessler are not expected to reach an agreement on a rookie scale contract extension before the regular season begins, sources inform Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Utah has put a formal offer on the table for Kessler, but hasn’t come close to agreeing to terms, per Jones. If the two sides don’t agree to a deal this fall, the seven-footer will reach restricted free agency next summer.
As Jones explains, the Jazz value Kessler’s skill set, viewing him as one of the top defenders at his position in the league and an important part of their future. However, holding off an extension for the time being will benefit the team from a salary cap perspective.
As a restricted free agent in 2026, Kessler would have a cap hold of just $14.9MM. Since any extension would likely feature a much more lucrative starting salary, completing a deal now would limit Utah’s cap flexibility next offseason.
The Lakers, who have expressed interest in Kessler in the past, are among the teams on track to have cap room available next offseason, Jones observes. With rival suitors potentially lurking, Jones suggests that Utah’s front office may want to prepare a number it’s comfortable with and have an offer ready for its starting center at the beginning of free agency in 2026.
With Kessler poised to play major minutes on a tanking team, a spike in production is a possibility. In 58 healthy bouts last season, the 24-year-old out of Auburn averaged a career-best 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.7 assists and 0.6 steals per game.
Quentin Grimes, Sixers Still ‘Very Far Apart’
8:56 pm: Confirming that the Sixers have offered Grimes a one-year contract worth more than his qualifying offer (which would require him to waive his no-trade clause), Tony Jones of The Athletic reports that the Sixers and the RFA wing also have mutual interest in working out a longer-term deal.
While both sides are amenable to the idea of working out a four-year agreement, they’re far apart on what the money in such a contract would look like, Jones adds.
3:01 pm: Restricted free agent Quentin Grimes and the Sixers are still “very far apart on a deal” to resolve their summer-long standoff, Shams Charania of ESPN said in an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Agent David Bauman told Charania that today was the first time the team made a “formal, hard offer” since free agency began. Bauman said Grimes won’t attend Philadelphia’s media day on Friday and he doesn’t plan to accompany the team this weekend to Abu Dhabi, where they’ll play two preseason games against the Knicks.
Charania points out that the Sixers have less incentive to offer a lengthy contract to Grimes after landing dynamic shooting guard VJ Edgecombe in the draft. Coupled with uncertainty over the health of stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, Philadelphia may not want to add another expensive deal to its payroll.
Charania suggests that the likely resolution appears to be Grimes either accepting the team’s $8.7MM qualifying offer, or possibly a larger one-year deal where Grimes would waive his no-trade clause. Either way, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer when more teams will have money to spend.
Grimes was acquired from Dallas in a February trade, joining a team that was decimated by injuries and had difficulty fielding a competitive roster. He immediately became the Sixers’ offensive star, averaging a career-best 21.9 PPG in 28 games while shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.
He had hoped those numbers would lead to a lucrative new contract, but he ran into a difficult market for a number of restricted free agents. Josh Giddey reached a new deal with the Bulls, but Cam Thomas accepted his qualifying offer with Brooklyn and Jonathan Kuminga remains in a standoff with Golden State.
Charania also provided an update on Kuminga, saying he’s the only projected member of the Warriors‘ roster who is not attending a mini-camp that Jimmy Butler is holding in San Diego this week.
Kuminga is still locked in a “stalemate” with the team, and Charania said agent Aaron Turner told him on Wednesday that the Warriors’ insistence on a team option “still remains critical” in keeping the two sides from reaching an agreement.
Pistons Cut Quincy Olivari
Guard Quincy Olivari has been waived by the Pistons, per the NBA’s transaction log. Detroit signed Olivari to an Exhibit 10 contract earlier this week.
After going undrafted last summer, the former Xavier guard spent the first half of his debut pro season in 2024/25 with the Lakers. Olivari played in just two games for Los Angeles, but put up encouraging numbers with the team’s G League club, the South Bay Lakers.
In 31 regular season games for South Bay, Olivari registered averages of 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest, with shooting splits of .401/.342/.781.
More recently, Olivari joined the Nets’ Summer League squad in July.
This moves leaves only Charles Bediako, Dawson Garcia and Brice Williams signed to Exhibit 10 agreements. The Pistons will likely fill that newly opened roster spot prior to the start of camp.
Olivari, meanwhile, is a good bet to end up with Detroit’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise. Should he remain with Motor City for 60 days or more, Olivari could net a bonus worth as much as $85,300.
CJ Fulton Waived By Timberwolves
Point guard CJ Fulton has been waived by the Timberwolves, according to the NBA’s player transaction log. The team had just announced its Exhibit 10 deal with Fulton earlier in the day.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, signing-and-waiving Fulton was the plan all along, as it will line him up to join Minnesota’s G League club, the Iowa Wolves. Should Fulton stick with Iowa for at least 60 days, he’ll be eligible to earn a bonus worth as much as $85,300.
Fulton signed with the Timberwolves after going undrafted out of Charleston this past summer. The Belfast-born guard averaged 7.8 PPG, 6.5 APG and 4.1 RPG during his 2024/25 senior NCAA season, then latched on with Minnesota’s Summer League team.
With Fulton waived, Minnesota has 19 players under contract heading into training camp next week, leaving two openings on its 21-man roster.
Hawks Sign Malik Williams, Lamont Butler
6:25 pm: The Hawks have confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially signed Williams and former Kentucky guard Lamont Butler. Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter) reports that both are Exhibit 10 deals.
Reports in June indicated Butler was expected to sign a two-way contract, but after having filled their three two-way slots this offseason, the Hawks have apparently decided to bring him aboard on an Exhibit 10 deal instead.
4:32 pm: The Hawks have agreed to a training camp contract with free agent center Malik Williams, sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). A source tells Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) that it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.
The 6’11” Louisville alum went undrafted in 2022 and kicked off his pro career by playing in the Polish Basketball League.
Williams spent most of 2023/24 with the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Late in the season, he managed to link up with the Raptors on a 10-day contract and then a rest-of-season deal. He cameoed in seven games, averaging 2.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 0.6 BPG in 15.3 MPG.
After his tenure with Toronto ended that spring, Williams returned to Sioux Falls for the 2024/25 season, with an eye towards a potential NBA call-up. Across 31 G League games for the Skyforce last year, he averaged 16.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.4 BPG. A modern stretch big, he logged shooting splits of .450/.396/.667 while attempting 5.5 three-point attempts per game.
Assuming Williams is waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300. College Park acquired Williams’ returning rights earlier this month.
Mavericks Waive D’Moi Hodge
The Mavericks have waived guard D’Moi Hodge ahead of team training camp, according to the NBA’s player transaction log.
He had been signed to a non-guaranteed deal last week. While the terms of that contract weren’t divulged, it almost certainly contained Exhibit 10 language.
Hodge went undrafted out of Missouri in 2023, but latched on with the Lakers via a two-way deal. He appeared in just seven games for Los Angeles, averaging 2.0 PPG and 0.7 APG in 5.9 MPG. The 6’4″ wing averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.0 SPG and 1.6 APG in 30 games for the South Bay Lakers and Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.
Last season, Hodge suited up for Greek League squad Aris Thessaloniki. He notched averages of 7.1 PPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.5 SPG across 15 EuroCup bouts.
Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets that Hodge is expected to join the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBAGL affiliate. If he sticks with the Legends for at least 60 days, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth as much as $85,300.
NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Boston Celtics
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Boston Celtics.
Free agent signings
Luka Garza: Two years, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.- Josh Minott: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year team option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Chris Boucher: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jalen Bridges: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Kendall Brown: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Ron Harper Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Hayden Gray: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Gray has since been waived.
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to Amari Williams (No. 46 pick), the draft rights to Max Shulga (No. 57 pick), either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) from the Magic in exchange for the draft rights to Noah Penda (No. 32 pick).
- Note: The Celtics had traded their 2027 second-round pick to the Magic in a previous deal.
- Acquired Georges Niang (from Hawks), the Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (from Hawks), and cash ($1.1MM; from Nets) in a three-team trade in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis (to Hawks) and a least favorable 2026 second-round pick (to Hawks).
- Acquired Anfernee Simons from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday.
- Acquired RJ Luis (two-way) from the Jazz in exchange for Georges Niang, either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).
Draft picks
- 1-28: Hugo Gonzalez
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $14,298,145).
- 2-46: Amari Williams
- Signed to two-way contract.
- 2-57: Max Shulga
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
- Max Shulga
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee.
- Amari Williams
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Torrey Craig (unsigned)
- Al Horford (unsigned)
- Luke Kornet (Spurs)
- Drew Peterson (Hornets)
Other roster moves
- Waived JD Davison (non-guaranteed contract).
- Waived Miles Norris (two-way contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and above the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $200MM in salary.
- No hard cap.
- Full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,685,000) available.
- Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $22,531,707).
- One traded player exception frozen ($4,018,363).
The offseason so far
After submitting one of the best seasons in NBA history in 2023/24 (64-18 in the regular season; 16-3 in the playoffs), the Celtics appeared on their way to authoring a worthy follow-up in ’24/25 as they racked up 61 more regular season wins and cruised past the Magic in the first round of the postseason.
But the Celtics’ path to a second straight championship hit a serious snag in the Eastern Conference semifinals when they blew back-to-back 20-point leads at home to the Knicks, then lost star forward Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles in Game 4. Boston managed to force the series to six games before bowing out two wins shy of the Eastern Conference finals.
A certain level of belt tightening had been anticipated this summer in Boston even before the season ended the way it did. The Celtics had been operating in second-apron territory for consecutive seasons, and even if the incoming ownership group were willing to spend the sizable luxury tax penalties that accompany a team salary of that size, the front office was finding it increasingly more difficult to add reinforcements to an aging roster due to apron-related restrictions.
After Tatum tore his Achilles and the club failed to make it out of the second round, the question went from “Will the Celtics shed salary?” to “Just how much salary will they shed?”
That question may not be fully answered until later in the season, as Boston’s cost-cutting efforts appear to be ongoing. But after entering the offseason with a projected team salary of $230MM+, the Celtics have reduced that number to about $200MM. They’re still in apron territory, but they sit comfortably below the second apron and may be able to dip below the first apron – or even the luxury tax line – at some point before season’s end.
A pair of transactions played a significant role in the Celtics’ salary reduction. First the team agreed to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks in a three-team trade that also involved the Nets. Then president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and his front office flipped Georges Niang – the player acquired from the Hawks for Porzingis – to the Jazz without taking back any players on standard contracts.
Porzingis is set to earn $30.7MM on an expiring deal in 2025/26, so removing him from the books generated massive savings for the Celtics, who had initially been projected to pay a record-setting tax bill of approximately $280MM — that number has since dropped to roughly $40MM.
As talented as Porzingis is, his contract isn’t especially team-friendly and his health was a question mark entering the summer after he was plagued during last season’s final few months by a mysterious illness later described as post-viral syndrome. As a result, moving him represented a pure salary dump for the Celtics, who gave up more second-round picks (three) than they got back (one) in their trades with Atlanta/Brooklyn and Utah.
Boston’s other major cost-cutting trade of the summer saw the team send Jrue Holiday to Portland straight up for Anfernee Simons. The gap between Holiday’s $32.4MM salary and Simons’ $27.7MM cap hit isn’t massive, but the deal created significant multiyear flexibility for the Celtics. Holiday’s contract spans three seasons and is worth $104.4MM in total, whereas Simons is on an expiring contract and will come off the books next summer.
While Holiday looks like the more valuable player than Simons right now, he’s also 35 years old and his medicals were concerning enough that after initially agreeing to attach a pair of second-round picks to Simons as part of the deal, Portland was able to convince Boston to complete the trade without those picks included. The Celtics will miss the hard-nosed guard in the short term, but it’s possible they’ll be relieved in a couple years to no longer have that contract on their cap.
Simons isn’t nearly the defender Holiday is, but he’s a more dangerous scorer, having averaged roughly 20 points per game and making over 38% of his three-point attempts during his final four seasons in Portland. If the Celtics do want to keep chipping away at their team salary, Simons is the most obvious candidate to be flipped in the same way that Niang was. But for the time being, it looks like he’ll open the season as one of the club’s go-to options on offense alongside star wing Jaylen Brown.
Outside of Simons and first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez – who, at age 19, may not be ready to contribute immediately – the Celtics were limited to minimum-salary free agent signings this offseason. With Tatum likely to miss most or all of 2025/26, Porzingis traded, and Luke Kornet and Al Horford departing in free agency, the Celtics entered the market looking to add a wing and a couple frontcourt players.
One of those frontcourt additions was Chris Boucher, a longtime Raptor who is capable of blocking a shot on one end of the court and knocking down a three-pointer on the other. Consistency has been a challenge for Boucher, but he provides energy off the bench and his willingness to let it fly from beyond the arc certainly fits the Celtics’ game plan.
Boston’s other two notable free agent signings were a little less conventional, as the team swooped in during the first 24 hours of free agency on two little-used Timberwolves who had their team options declined by Minnesota in June, signing Luka Garza and Josh Minott to guaranteed minimum-salary contracts.
Neither player has shown much at the NBA level, but Garza has put up monster numbers in the G League and Minott received rave reviews from Wolves staffers last fall. The goal in Boston will be to replicate the success the team had with a player like Kornet, who became a productive rotation player in recent years after several seasons as a journeyman.
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Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta don’t have fully guaranteed salaries for 2025/26, but both players look like safe bets to make the opening night roster alongside the Celtics’ 12 players on guaranteed deals. The team will likely open the season without a 15th man in order to maximize its roster and financial flexibility.
As noted above, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility of a preseason trade – involving Simons or another player – that further reduces Boston’s payroll, but there hasn’t been much chatter on that front as of late. The front office will have until the trade deadline to explore additional cost-cutting moves.
All three of the Celtics’ two-way slots are currently occupied, with the club’s two 2025 second-round picks – Amari Williams and Max Shulga – joined by RJ Luis, who was acquired from the Jazz in the Niang trade. Luis reportedly received a two-way offer from Boston at the start of the offeason before signing with Utah, so he shouldn’t simply be viewed as a trade throw-in. But if the Celtics do decide to make a change to one of their two-way slots before the season begins, he’d probably be more at risk to be waived than one of the team’s recent draftees.
Finally, while the Celtics have a couple players eligible for veteran contract extension, neither Simons nor Walsh looks like a legitimate candidate for a new deal at this point. Simons is more likely to be traded than extended, while Walsh still needs to establish himself as an NBA rotation player after playing fewer than 500 total minutes in his first two years in the league.