The Boston Celtics have just begun their 2024 NBA title celebration, a celebration that will likely stretch well into the summer, but the NBA offseason won’t wait for them.
Free agency essentially began at the same time Jayson Tatum was yelling, “We did it!” The 2024 NBA Draft is this week. On Sunday, Celtics reserve forward Oshae Brissett reportedly opted out of the final year of his contract, and while it was a formality that doesn’t necessarily guarantee his departure, it’s a quick and firm reminder that it’s unlikely Let things be exactly the same when the Celtics reconvene in October.
Even as the team navigated a dominant playoff run, the front office was preparing for what was to come. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens is set to potentially make the first Round 1 draft pick of his tenure as an executive. Otherwise, his to-do list is pretty simple, in part because of the limitations the new collective bargaining agreement will place on how the Celtics can modify an expensive roster.
Still, it’s up to Stevens and his team to target complementary pieces that can take the stress off the returning front six and give Boston every opportunity to boat around town next summer. So let’s briefly leave Larry O’Brien aside and take a general look at Boston’s offseason.
The first six classified
The Celtics’ top six are under contract for the 2024-25 campaign. Jaylen Brown’s supermax deal hits the books this year and a $49.4 million first-year salary will keep the Celtics deep in the luxury tax.
The owners have committed to spending to maximize this championship window. And that salary commitment is only going to increase, in part because of the two biggest items on Stevens’ to-do list this offseason this summer:
Tatum’s new deal
A year after Brown signed the richest contract in league history, Tatum is expected to take up that baton whenever he signs a five-year, $315 million supermax contract. That deal won’t take effect until the 2025-26 season, but it will ensure that, if the Celtics want it, the Blue Jays stay together in green at least through the 2028-29 season.
A white extension?
Derrick White is entering the final year of a deal that will pay him $20.1 million in 2024-25. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $126 million extension before the end of the 2024-25 season.
White will turn 30 on July 2, and while he could wait until free agency in hopes of a bigger payday, he could embrace the security of a deal that will pay him an average of $31.5 million per season. Securing White would ensure the Celtics could keep last year’s preferred starting five together for at least two more seasons.
Brad Stevens joins Celtics Pregame Live to discuss the possibility of Derrick White signing an extension this summer
Key reserves in force
Even beyond the top six, the Celtics are well positioned with a pair of top-tier reserves. Al Horford continues to crush Father Time and has expressed interest in potentially playing into his 40s. The 38-year-old big man is under contract for one more year at $9.5 million. Payton Pritchard’s extension takes effect this year, but he already feels like a bargain with a first-year salary of $6.7 million.
More difficult decisions lie ahead about how to keep the rest of Boston’s bench. That includes:
Brissett opts out
At first glance, this was a no-brainer. Brissett hits the open market with the opportunity to evaluate competing offers knowing that Boston can bring him back for virtually the same amount he would have paid otherwise.
Brissett didn’t have a particularly strong role on the court, but he was ready for his opportunities, including infusing some energy during two appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals. Furthermore, he endeared himself here with his positive energy and his vlogging.
If Brissett moves on this summer, the Celtics will hope for sophomore-to-be Jordan Walsh to take a step forward in his development.
Hauser’s enigma
The Celtics have a team option on Sam Hauser, which would allow them to bring back the wing at an affordable $2.1 million salary. While that’s great for the books, the danger is that it sets him up to hit unrestricted free agency next summer when the Celtics, with their absurd commitment to the top six, would be hard-pressed to match the offers he’ll receive.
Hauser is eligible for an extension and the team could offer him a deal exceeding $78 million over four years. The Celtics could also decline his team option this month, making Hauser a restricted free agent, which could pave the way for them to match any reasonable offer he receives on the open market.
The danger is that a rival could make a big-money offer that Boston simply can’t match given its long-term salary commitment.
Hauser’s future is the thorniest of any player in Boston’s top eight. He may simply be too expensive for them after this season. The question is whether the team will take another year on the cheap or try to roll the dice a little in hopes of extending that stay.
Abby Chin talks to Sam Hauser in the Celtics locker room after Boston wins the NBA Finals.
Care centers
Given the need to manage minutes with both Horford and Porzingis, the Celtics would prefer to bring back bigs Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet in free agency. The market will dictate whether that happens.
Kornet is likely to draw interest from teams in need of size and the Celtics could be under pressure to match a quality offer. Tillman, acquired midseason, might have a fresher market, but the Celtics will still have to spend to bring him back. Having a full camp with Boston could help Tillman spread his wings even further here.
The Celtics also have a $2.2 million team option on Neemias Queta, who was promoted from a two-way deal at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Completing the list
Otherwise, the Celtics are limited to minimum contracts to fill out their roster. Svi Mykhailiuk could return on a minimum deal. The Celtics may ponder the future of two-way players JD Davison and Drew Petersen.
Veterans looking for championships should be intrigued by Boston’s situation. On the other end of the spectrum, youngsters like Walsh and Jaden Springer (on the books for $4 million next season) could have a better chance in depth roles.
The bloated cap increases the pressure on Stevens to hit in the draft. Developing players on championship teams isn’t easy, but Boston hopes players can get the necessary reps in Maine.
The Celtics have the 30th pick in Wednesday’s draft. The natural inclination is to suggest that the team should lean toward “the best big man available,” but Boston has routinely prioritized the best player available.
Decisions come faster than you think. The champagne has barely dried and there is work to be done to ensure the Celtics can recover much of the roster from this championship season.
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