Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Jayson Tatum

Celtics Notes: Stevens, Horford, Kornet, Mazzulla, Gonzalez, Tatum, Brown

June 26th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had a new first-round pick to discuss in Hugo Gonzalez, but there were more pressing issues to address as he met with the media following Wednesday’s draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After agreeing to separate trades this week involving Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, Stevens talked about their contributions to the franchise and whether any more cost-cutting measures might be on the way.

“The biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility,” Stevens said. “Maximizing from an assets standpoint what we can. As far as whatever moves those are a part of, those are all separate, hard, and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you’re in the right position. We knew this was coming. We’ve got to prioritize flexibility.”

Parting with Holiday and Porzingis enabled the Celtics to move below the second apron, freeing them up to aggregate salaries in future trades, send out cash in deals and use trade exceptions. They’re projected to save nearly $200MM in luxury tax penalties, but Stevens emphasized that flexibility rather than frugality was the main motivation for trimming salary.

“Our owners are committed to spending,” Stevens said. “There’s a lot of things that go into these moves and a lot of things that are really important. The second apron basketball penalties are real and I’m not sure I understood how real until they were staring me in the face in the last month. I do think that can’t be overstated.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Without a reliable center currently on the roster, Stevens said the team hopes to re-sign free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Horford made $9.5MM this season while Kornet played for the league minimum and has a chance to get a significant raise on the open market. “I think the biggest thing is, as you look at the rest of the team and what we’re trying to do, there is no question our priorities would be to bring Al and Luke back,” Stevens said. “Those guys are huge parts of this organization,” Stevens said. “They’re going to have, I’m sure, plenty of options all over the place, and that’s well-deserved, but I think that would be a priority. At the same time, I don’t want to put pressure on them. It’s their call ultimately. But, yeah, we would love to have those guys back.”
  • Stevens revealed that Joe Mazzulla received a contract extension at some point since he was promoted to head coach two years ago, Robb adds in a separate story. “I keep any of those discussions in house,” Stevens said. “But we’ve got Joe under contract for multiple years right now. So, we certainly want Joe to be around here for a long time.”
  • Regarding Gonzalez, Stevens confirmed the 19-year-old Real Madrid wing won’t be a draft-and-stash project, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. “Just a big fan of how he plays,” Stevens said. “He’s tough, he’s hard playing, he cuts, he goes after the ball, he competes. He’s got all the intangibles of a winning basketball player. There’s things he can get better at just like everybody else at that age, but competitiveness is at a high level.”
  • Stevens also provided updates on injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, relays Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. Stevens is pleased with Tatum’s progress since undergoing Achilles surgery and emphasized that the team won’t do anything to rush his rehabilitation process. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens said. “… It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him … and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.” Brown, who recently had a minimally invasive procedure on his right knee, has already returned to the Celtics’ facility to do some light ball-handling and work around the rim, Stevens adds.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Simons, Sale, Roster, Brown, White

June 25th, 2025 at 12:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Celtics forward Torrey Craig has provided an update on recovering All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. In an interview with CLNS Boston’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell on their show “The Garden Report” (YouTube video link), Craig spoke about Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles surgery.

Tatum is currently four weeks into his rehabilitation, having torn the tendon in Game 4 of an eventual second round playoff series loss to New York.

“(I) see him smiling and laughing and joking around,” Craig said. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always good to see him in good spirits.”

Craig, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Tatum on the shelf through much or all of 2025/26, he may be an option the team considers on another minimum-salary contract as it looks to fill out its wing depth.

There’s more out of Boston:

  • The Celtics’ newest guard, Anfernee Simons, asked to be traded away from Portland even ahead of the 2024/25 season, a source informs Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). According to Washburn’s source, Simons – an Orlando-area native – had been interested the Magic. Orlando addressed its scoring guard needs with its blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane earlier this summer, but Simons eventually got the change of scenery he sought.
  • Although the Celtics have yet to officially be sold to new majority owner William Chisholm, the club’s impending sale is still on track to be approved and finalized in the not-too-distant future, sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
  • Thanks to their deals of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are now below the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at potential next steps for Boston following those deals.
  • During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” (YouTube video link), NBA insider Brian Windhorst confirmed colleague Shams Charania’s report that the Celtics are getting calls about stars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Windhorst suggested that Boston’s decision on whether or not to move those players may happen sooner rather than later. “There are teams in the top 10 (of tonight’s draft) who are making offers,” Windhorst said. “And you’d potentially be able to get replacement players and a draft pick. I don’t know if Brad Stevens and his staff is in love with one of these top guys. Maybe they are. But that’s what is on the table. … I say at midnight, Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic and Derrick White is still a Celtic, and they run it back, and they get ready to go in ’26/27.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Centers, Horford, Kornet, Tatum, Draft

June 14th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics should be in the market for center help this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. Kristaps Porzingis is a prime candidate to be traded because of his $30.7MM salary for next season, while Al Horford and Luke Kornet are both headed to free agency. There’s no guarantee that Horford, who turned 39 earlier this month, will continue playing as Boston may take a step back from title contention in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear.

Robb notes that the Celtics will miss Tatum’s rebounding prowess next season, as none of the team’s current options in the middle are particularly strong on the boards. Tatum averaged 8.7 rebounds this year, and Boston was dominated off the glass without him in its Game 6 loss to New York.

Robb adds that the Celtics will have to take back some salary in the expected deals involving Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and possibly others, so that may be an avenue to find help in the middle. Boston would be limited to veteran’s minimum offers in free agency, and Robb suggests that would involve players in the class of Mason Plumlee, Jaxson Hayes or Paul Reed.

There’s more on the Celtics:

  • Steven Adams‘ new contract in Houston takes a prominent center off the free agent market and could increase the value of Horford and Kornet, Robb adds in a separate piece. Once the top names such as Myles Turner and Naz Reid are off the board, Robb suggests that Horford and Kornet could get offers at the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7MM) or higher. The Celtics hold Bird rights on both players.
  • Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins could serve as an inspiration for Tatum as he works his way back from the Achilles injury, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Wilkins ruptured his Achilles in January of 1992 when it was considered a potential career-ending injury, but he was able to return for opening night of the 1992/93 season and averaged 29.9 PPG while finishing fifth in the MVP voting. “That injury is a serious injury,” Wilkins told Washburn. “And Jayson had the same type of injury I had, meaning he had a complete tear because there is no way you could walk off the floor. That’s a devastating injury, but the thing is the work he puts in is going to determine what he gets out of it. I worked twice a day every day for nine months and came back quicker than anybody. But it was my level of commitment and Jayson is a kid that loves the game and I have a lot of respect and am a fan of his. I have no doubt that he’s going to put in the work to get back to the same level he was.”
  • Justin Quinn of Celtics Wire takes a look at all the players the team has hosted for pre-draft workouts, including prominent names such as Cedric Coward and Drake Powell. Boston has the 28th and 32nd picks in this year’s draft.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Fischer’s Latest: Celtics, Sixers, Hawks, Capela, Draft

June 12th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

While there was speculation around the combine that rival teams would likely seek some sort of assets from Boston along with Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM expiring contract) or Jrue Holiday ($104.4MM over the next three years), the Celtics have been operating as though they’re confident those former All-Stars will return positive value on the trade market, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Fischer, the Celtics have given some teams the impression they aren’t in a rush to reduce their projected record-breaking luxury tax bill for 2025/26, and may do so in phases rather than all at once. That could include trading Porzingis for a smaller salary this offseason, and perhaps waiting for the trade deadline next February to make another cost-cutting move.

ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable.

Fischer hears Boston would have to have to be blown away to part with White, pointing to Brooklyn’s return for Mikal Bridges as a point of comparison. He also states that Payton Pritchard should be in a similar category of “extremely hard-to-get,” with Boston looking to remain competitive next season despite losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

  • Confirming a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer has also heard the Sixers have spoken to the Spurs about the possibility of moving up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft. Fischer also confirms that Philadelphia has zeroed in on four candidates for the third pick, though only two of those prospects — V.J. Edgecombe and Ace Bailey — are currently known. Moving back in the draft remains a possibility as well, Fischer adds.
  • After reporting that there hasn’t been much chatter about the Hawks combining their two first-round picks (Nos. 13 and 22) in an effort to move up in the draft, Fischer has subsequently heard otherwise from “various sources.” According to Fischer, rival teams believe Atlanta is focused on centers in the draft, with Clint Capela expected to walk in free agency.
  • There’s an expectation around the league that there could be a rush of trade activity late in the first round and early in the second as teams jockey for prospects, Fischer writes. As Fischer explains, several players projected to be selected in that range wound up returning to college due to multi-million dollar NIL deals, leaving the latter portion of the second round, in particular, somewhat lacking in young talent compared to previous drafts.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Sale, Porzingis, Holiday, Hauser, White, Tatum

June 7th, 2025 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the NBA’s Board of Governors set to vote on the Celtics sale later this month, there don’t appear to be any reasons that it would be rejected, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. New majority owner William Chisholm finalized the funding for the $6.1 billion purchase in May, with Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Sixth Street among the other notable investors.

The group will take over a 51% stake of the team this summer, with the remainder of the purchase to be completed in 2028. Some concerns were raised about a two-stage deal after a similar arrangement in Minnesota had to be worked out in court, but commissioner Adam Silver didn’t raise any objections when asked about the purchase during his press conference Thursday before the start of the NBA Finals.

“I’d just say that the Boston Celtics deal I don’t think of as a staged deal,” Silver said. “They’re still in the process of completing it. It’s really more about a phase-out of current ownership. I think there Bill Chisholm, who is the incoming owner, he’s got to sort of straighten out some affairs in his life and his business. He’s currently located on the West Coast. I think he’s a huge admirer of (current majority owner) Wyc Grousbeck and the way he’s been running that team. Obviously their results speak for themselves.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser are all likely to be traded this summer if management is determined to get below the tax threshold, Robb states in a mailbag column. With a $10MM salary next season, Hauser should be easy to move without taking back another player in return, Robb adds. That won’t be true for Porzingis ($30.7MM) or Holiday ($32.4MM), but Robb suggests that Boston can reduce the salaries it takes on by getting other teams involved.
  • As the Celtics consider how to cut payroll this summer, Derrick White should be kept off the table in any trade talks, contends Chad Finn of The Boston Globe. Finn points out that White holds the franchise record for the most made three-pointers in a season, and he’s an elite shot blocker for a guard. He’s only 30 with a relatively affordable contract, and he can be part of the foundation to rebuild around when Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury.
  • Tatum offered an update today on his recovery from surgery, tweeting, “Day 25… days starting to get a little easier.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Stevens, Porzingis, Holiday

May 24th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell is optimistic that Jayson Tatum will reclaim his place as one of the NBA’s best players whenever he fully recovers from Achilles surgery, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Appearing on Patrick Beverley‘s podcast, Cassell said he plans to help Tatum learn how to view the game from a coach’s perspective while he’s rehabbing the injury.

“It’s good, man,” Cassell said. “When he comes back, he can be even better. He can observe the game of basketball and work on everything he needs to work on. I’m looking forward to the journey with him. Top-five first-team All-(NBA) this year. When he comes back, he’ll be first-team All-(NBA) again. He’s that good.”

Tatum was one of four players to be unanimously selected for first-team All-NBA honors this week, earning the designation for the fourth straight season. No timetable has been set for him to resume playing, but Terada states that the Celtics are confident about his prognosis because he had surgery the morning after tearing his Achilles in Game 4 of their second-round series and he was fortunate to be in New York, which offered greater access to world-class surgeons.

Tatum’s injury derailed any hopes that Boston had of rallying to win the series and it may cause the team to take a step back from contending next season. However, Cassell is confident in the long-term future.

“When you got a great group of guys who understood the situation we were in,” he said, “It’s like, ‘Guys, we’re down 3-1, OK. We’re going to get another lead, so let’s just take advantage of the lead.’ Because we had leads every game. Basketball gods are just not happy sometimes. We’ll grow from this. As a staff, we’ll grow from this as a team. We’re the Boston Celtics, baby.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • The press conference held Monday by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens showed that he has a plan to remake the roster and trim salary this summer, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Stevens indicated that he’s willing to use the team’s draft picks at No. 28 and 32 to help get rid of at least the roughly $20MM that will be necessary to get the Celtics below the second apron. Washburn doesn’t expect Stevens to part with Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, but he states that Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday will likely be made available, while Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh and JD Davison may also be deemed expendable.
  • In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive questions how easy it will be to find teams willing to take on Porzingis and Holiday. Robb points out that Holiday is already 35 and will making $37.2MM in 2027/28, while Porzingis’ recent health issues will likely limit his market.
  • Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe continues his offseason series rating the team’s various units, this time focusing on the starting lineup. He notes that injuries to Tatum and Brown, along with Porzingis’ illness and Holiday’s signs of aging leave the group in much worse shape than it appeared to be when the season began.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

2024/25 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2024/25 All-NBA teams have been officially announced by the league (Twitter link).

A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.

This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

The top four vote-getters, Antetounmpo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Tatum, were all unanimous selections to the First Team. James led the Second Team with 17 First Team votes, compared to Mitchell’s 61. Cunningham was the only member of the Third Team to receive First Team votes (six) — he also earned 10 more Second Team votes than the next closest vote-getter, as Towns had 40.

This announcement marks the first All-NBA selections for Cunningham, Mobley, and Williams, and – on the other side of the coin – the 21st consecutive selection for James. No other player in NBA history has been named to more than 15 All-NBA teams.

Curry set a franchise record with his 11th All-NBA selection. Edwards became just the fourth Timberwolves player to be named to multiple All-NBA teams, joining Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, and Towns.

Other players who received votes, along with their respective point totals, were the Rockets‘ Alperen Sengun (58), the Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr. (55), the Clippers‘ Ivica Zubac (15), the Cavaliers‘ Darius Garland (6), the Kings‘ Domantas Sabonis (4), the Pacers‘ Pascal Siakam (4), the Heat‘s Bam Adebayo (3), the Hawks‘ Trae Young (3), and the Suns‘ Devin Booker (2).

The Cavs, Knicks, and Thunder were the only teams to feature multiple All-NBA players. Both the Thunder and Knicks are currently playing in the conference finals for a shot at advancing to the NBA finals.

This is the second year that All-NBA teams have been positionless and have required players to meet a 65-game minimum to qualify for consideration.

Several players, starting with Cunningham, gained or lost eligibility for salary increases due to the All-NBA results. We have more details here.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Stevens: More Time Required To Determine Offseason Plans

May 19th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t provide any clarity during his postseason press conference on his approach to a challenging offseason. Stevens said that the organization remains driven to compete for championships but there are other factors that must be considered.

“I know there will be a lot of questions about what’s next,” Stevens said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “I’ll talk probably more about that at the draft time when we have a better idea after meeting with all the key stakeholders and everybody else about what next steps might be. At the end of the day, I think that will all be driven by the same thing that’s always driven us and that is how do we get ourselves in the mix to compete for championships best.”

Numerous players were signed to extensions last offseason after the Celtics won the championship. The cost of carrying those players will rise exponentially — their payroll for next season is projected to be around $225MM, with repeater tax penalties totaling approximately $280MM.

This comes at a time when majority ownership is due to change hands.  The new ownership group, led by William Chisholm, is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors next month, according to Robb. It’s unknown whether the new owners are willing to take on that kind of penalty.

“The CBA has been well-known for years,” Stevens said. “So there are penalties associated with being at certain levels, and we know that. You just weigh that. You weigh where we are. You weigh everything else then you make those decisions. You have to have the clarity of a full season and a full playoffs and, like I said, a couple good night’s sleep. Then everybody gets in a room and put your heads together and figure out what’s next.”

Another major factor in the Celtics’ offseason approach will be the likely season-long absence of star forward Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles during their second-round series. It was later revealed that Jaylen Brown played with partially torn meniscus in his right knee, while Kristaps Porzingis continued to battle a lingering illness. Stevens wouldn’t blame the series loss to the Knicks on those setbacks.

“The reality is we blew the first two games and that’s why we put ourselves in a tough spot. … That’s not on any one person,” Stevens said, per The Associated Press. “It’s not out of maliciousness. It’s not out of a bad decision. It’s not bad luck. It’s we had an opportunity to win those first two home games and we put ourselves behind the eight ball.”

Brown’s knee issues cropped up in March, Stevens said.  However, the knee injury wasn’t severe enough to keep him off the court, as Robb relays.

“Jaylen wants to play, Jaylen’s a warrior, Jaylen takes great pride in being out there,” Stevens said. “And at the same time, he saw obviously our team docs and a couple of other people and as he even said a couple weeks ago, the knee’s in a good place structurally. And so I think he felt comfortable getting out there and going after it. And hopefully he’ll feel better after being off it for a couple weeks here. The unfortunate part is we’re done in the middle of May, but some of these guys who have some nicks, bruises and other things that it’ll be good to get some rest.”

Porzingis’ illness was described to Stevens as “post-viral syndrome,” The Athletic’s Jay King tweets. Stevens believes Porzingis’ health issues will be “well cleared up” by the time he plays for Latvia in EuroBasket this summer.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Kornet, Holiday, Brown, White

May 18th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Celtics looking for ways to cut costs this offseason, it’s possible that re-signing Luke Kornet will be a luxury they can’t afford. The 29-year-old backup center wasn’t ready to address his future at Saturday’s exit interviews, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.

“Regarding going forward it’s like, I’ll figure out stuff when it kind of comes to it,” Kornet said. “At this point, you’re just kind of trying to unwind and spend some time with family and you don’t even know what everything is gonna look like because you just got done playing. That’s kind of what it is for now.”

Kornet, who has been with the team since being acquired at the 2022 trade deadline, turned out to be a bargain on the one-year, minimum-salary contract he signed last summer. He brought stability to Boston’s frontline, appearing in 73 games and averaging 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per night. He helped the Celtics extend their second-round series with a near triple-double in Game 5 and was in the starting lineup for Game 6.

Keeping Kornet could become more important than ever with Al Horford uncertain about returning for another season. Boston owns Kornet’s Bird rights, but second apron restrictions and a huge projected tax bill will likely limit what the team is willing to offer.

“The year, obviously it didn’t ultimately end in what we wanted to do and accomplish,” Kornet added. “It’s like a good deal to look back on well. I mean obviously the day after, that’s a little tough. But I think that it was a little more time to be able to kind of appreciate things for what they were. Obviously we had some good stretches and we ultimately came short, so it’s just kind of the taste in the mouth for the time being.”

There’s more from Boston:

  • Jrue Holiday has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate because of his hefty salary, but he believes the Celtics can remain title contenders if the core of the team stays together, Terada states in a separate story. Holiday has three seasons left on his four-year, $134.4MM extension, including a $37.2MM player option in 2027/28. “We still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win a championship again,” he said. “I think the talent that we have on this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff all the way up to (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) has been amazing. So, the opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be a part of that.”
  • Jaylen Brown, who has been diagnosed with a partially torn meniscus, offered a message of hope to Celtics fans after being eliminated, Terada adds in another piece. Brown expects the team to bounce back quickly, even though Jayson Tatum is sidelined indefinitely after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles. “This journey is not the end; it’s not the end for me,” Brown said. “I’m looking forward to coming back stronger, so you just take this with your chin up. I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now, obviously with JT being out and us kind of ending the year. But it’s a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
  • Derrick White appears likely to stay in Boston because he’s delivering good value on his contract, observes Brian Robb of MassLive. White acknowledged that changes are likely coming to the team, adding that his priority will be improving during the summer. “I just gotta focus on what I need to focus on, which is obviously I have a lot of room for improvement,” White said. “So I gotta get better. People are going to do their jobs and my job right now is to get better.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Rumors: Holiday, Porzingis, Tatum, Brown, More

May 17th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Rory Maher

Even before Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon, the Celtics were contemplating “significant offseason changes” due to a payroll (including luxury tax) that is projected to surpass $500MM in 2025/26, confirms Jay King of The Athletic. But with Tatum likely to miss most — if not all — of next season, a more “drastic shakeup” could be in the works.

Although Jrue Holiday battled injuries and saw his offensive numbers decline in ’24/25, he’s still expected to draw interest from contending teams if the Celtics make him available on the trade market, league sources tell King. Holiday turns 35 years old next month and is owed $104.4MM through ’27/28, but he’s highly regarded around the league due to his championship pedigree and reputation as a strong defensive player, King writes.

Kristaps Porzingis is another clear trade candidate due to his expiring contract. But don’t expect the Celtics to simply shed his salary in a straightforward salary dump, King adds.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on the 2024 champions:

  • According to King, Tatum’s heavy workload was an “occasional topic of contention” within the organization prior to the injury. Including the playoffs, Tatum has played more minutes than any player in the league since Boston selected him No. 3 overall in 2017, King notes, and he also won a pair of gold medals with Team USA in 2021 and 2024, so he hasn’t many rest opportunities in recent years. Tatum admitted in March that “a lot of headbutting” occurred prior to games when the team wanted to him rest but he wanted to play.
  • Prior to the Game 6 elimination, Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols of Sports Illustrated speculated about what moves the Celtics might make this summer (YouTube link). “The question is what do you do here? Because I think there’s a pretty decent chance that this team gets dismantled in a major way,” Mannix said. Nichols followed up by asking if Jaylen Brown could be on the move. Mannix doesn’t think so, but said, “I think two or more rotation players in the top seven could be gone next year, and they could use next year as a gap year.” Holiday and Porzingis were two more players brought up in the discussion.
  • It’s clear the Celtics won’t be running things back for a second straight summer, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports, who is “pretty confident” that next year’s roster will feature Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh. However, Forsberg is less certain about the rest of the roster, including Brown, who is entering the second season of his five-year, super-max contract. Sharpshooter Sam Hauser is another trade candidate if the team is unable to cut costs elsewhere, Forsberg writes.
  • In his Celtics offseason preview for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks lays out some of the options Boston could consider this summer, noting that the punitive restrictions of the second tax apron will likely be the main reason the team decides to make changes. Marks also released a video version of his offseason guide via YouTube.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts