NBA Notebook: Making sense of the Celtics offseason so far

It's hard to fathom what's happened since the Celtics lost to the Knicks in Game 6 only 51 days ago. 

Boston trading Jrue Holiday didn't shock anyone, the star guard's three-year contract worth over $100 million through age 37 didn't make sense on an increasingly expensive roster. Even if Jayson Tatum didn't fall with an Achilles tear, that move probably happens to shed some luxury tax and second apron commitments. Boston not shedding any draft picks and acquiring a potential asset in Anfernee Simons look impressive at the time.  

The following move, one day later, shedding Kristaps Porziņģis' salary almost in its entirety by bringing back as little salary as possible and re-routing a Hawks first-rounder in the process, became the first sign that this summer could mark a serious step back for the franchise. The Celtics could not successfully trade Simons and Georges Niang after acquiring them in the deals, and understandably set a high price threshold for Sam Hauser, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. Many fans appreciated the team not splitting up Brown and Tatum, or other beloved, longer-tenured teammates, in such an unceremonious manner. The byproduct, losing Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford alongside Holiday and Porziņģis, did not set Boston up for immediate or even future success. 

One way or another, this offseason would hurt, and Tatum's injury made it worse. Without him, this roster doesn't have a path to competitiveness at the moment. Their path to hitting the ground running when he's back, probably in 2026-27, appears uncertain as well. 

The Celtics went from having one of the most enviable front courts in the sport to the least proven group in the NBA almost overnight. Boston pivoted to Luka Garza, a 26-year-old who became the first back-to-back national player of the year since Michael Jordan at Iowa. Since, he's swung between the G-League and NBA with Detroit and Minnesota. The Celtics also added former Wolve Josh Minott, a 22-year-old wing who might fit better as a rim-running and shot-blocking center. Including Neemias Queta, signed at the minimum for two more seasons, and Xavier Tillman Sr., who lost his rotation spot from November on last year, Boston's center position is almost completely unproven. Amari Williams, the No. 46 pick in this month's draft, is expected to sign a two-way contract, but could also factor into the frontcourt as soon as this season. Nothing was more emblematic of where the Celtics stood in recent weeks than Williams fielding a question about potentially playing a role in year one and learning from a veteran like Queta.  

That plan might work if the Celtics don't view a reset season as the worst thing while they own their first-round pick with Tatum out. The team can let Brown manage his return from meniscus surgery, run the offense in a larger role alongside White and experiment with younger, development players, including Simons, who couldn't put it all together in Portland despite flashing enormous promise as a shooter. Joe Mazzulla can get experimental at center, and the Celtics may find unsung, cheaper talent at the position, or see Queta take more steps at the position. A losing season could set them up for what's next at the position long term. 

It's a bold bet given that the Celtics already invested years of a long, winding development path with Kornet that led to him resembling a starter in the 2025-26 season. The peak of his impact, Game 5 against New York, where he blocked seven shots, is now both his lasting memory in a Celtics uniform and the extent of his short-lived time as Boston's center. There was a case to keep Kornet both as a reliable contributor at the position and a medium-sized salary alongside Hauser, something Boston is lacking now outside of its core players. Despite letting as many as four crucial contributors go, the Celtics don't have tremendous flexibility next summer either. 

They're still a second-apron team by less than $1 million after all these moves. Between 11 players, they're committed to $180 million in salary next summer, which is over the cap by $15 million and within $7-8 million of the luxury tax threshold. If the Celtics decide to shed repeater tax penalties, they need to stay below the tax line for two straight seasons, which they're currently $19 million over. The ensuing moves Boston makes this summer will say a lot about their direction and what moves they're capable of making next summer. Unless they attain favorable draft positioning, they don't have the matching salaries or premium draft capital to find a high-caliber center for Tatum and Brown without savvy scouting. Finances also play a part in what kind of talent the Celtics can be in on. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Maxime Raynaud, well-regarded prospects who many positioned as first-round picks, were both available at No. 32 before Boston traded back to select two players who would accept two-way contracts -- which don't carry cap or luxury tax hits. For what it's worth, the Celtics were reportedly prepared to take forward Rasheer Fleming at 32. So there's at least a chance they viewed Williams as favorable as those other two centers. Boston's direction became evident the day before, however, when the team drafted Hugo Gonzalez, a 19-year-old Spanish prospect who could take years to reach his potential. 

Still, the development track is long for big men, whether the Celtics find their center of the future now or next offseason. It's a crucial position in the NBA league-wide and particularly in Boston's system with how precise their screening game is, how much the team values floor spacing and stopping opposing transition offenses by crashing the glass the right way. On defense, Queta's inconsistencies cost him his rotation spot late in the year and he did not log playoff rotation minutes. He's now the projected starting center for this team. 

If there's any way to accept a step back, for draft or salary cap-resetting reasons, having instability inside is a good way to set up significantly more losses than in recent seasons. Returning Tatum will solve many of their problems into 2026-27, though it isn't easy to flip the switch from losing to winning again. Not having reliable offensive outlets or screening partners at center could make life challenging for Brown and White as defenses key in on them. For however much fans and analysts expect a down year from Boston, individual struggles could still draw ire and the Celtics haven't put their star players in a great position to succeed. This is also the reality of the league now, as Boston paid Tatum and Brown super max salaries, projecting that they'll grow into players who can raise the level of teammates around them. That's mandatory if they're going to build around those two. 

Then, there's the outside chance that Damian Lillard could join this core, not necessarily a need, but an intriguing prospect to offset some of the variance involved in both his and Tatum's Achilles recoveries. The Bucks would offset his salary for the next two seasons, and he would fill the missing rotation spot in the backcourt that Holiday vacated. Tatum, Brown, Lillard, White, Payton Pritchard and Hauser isn't a bad starting point in 2026-27, even if that still leaves a massive question mark at center. Not many other teams can say their core matches that one entering 2026, though it's unclear how much Lillard values proximity to Portland and his native Oakland, which the Golden State Warriors can offer. For Boston, there's no better cover for this offseason's disappointments, especially for incoming ownership, than introducing Lillard alongside Bill Chisholm later this summer. 

It's unfathomable that Lillard could instead join Horford with the Warriors this summer, with Horford seemingly poised to end his career in Boston, contending for championships indefinitely. There was even a case to try to hold onto him at 39 for stability's sake, as he's likely to only receive the taxpayer mid-level exception, more than fair for the productivity he's shown in recent seasons. The Celtics won't even have Horford next season, someone teammates hoped would return when a greater opportunity existed for the team to stay above water entering this season. Holiday hoped to remain part of the team's picture moving forward. As did Porziņģis. Horford will still reportedly consider retirement, as a move from Boston seemed improbable at this point in his career. Remaining players like Pritchard predicted less of a step back than what now appears possible. They can still make a surprise season possible. They'll need to overcome numerous questions for a team that not long ago looked invincible. 

"We'll put a good team together," Pritchard said. "A lot of competitors and people that will go out there and lay it all on the line every night. I believe people will elevate their games and have bigger roles, especially with J.T. being out, until he comes back, and they should take full advantage of it and be ready for those opportunities, and we'll compete." 

"You can't replace Al," he continued. "I definitely hope we get that figured out, because his locker room presence alone is crucial. Then, having him on the court, for all the young guys to see how he goes about his business, how professional he is, he's just a leader, so we definitely need him back." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker (4yrs, $62M) and Luke Kennard (1yr, $11M) to add some shooting alongside their reinforced front line. The Hawks now boast one of the more formidable rosters in the East, and will give Trae Young his best shot yet to reach the finals before he can opt out of a $49 million option next summer and enter free agency. Atlanta also has significant expiring money in the case that he does that, giving them multiple paths into the future. Their summer league roster will feature Kobe Bufkin and Nikola Đurišić, developing guards who dealt with injuries last year, and first-round pick Asa Newell. 

Boston: Signed Luka Garza (2yrs, $5.3M) and Josh Minott (2yrs, $5M) to give themselves options in the frontcourt after Luke Kornet departed to the Spurs. With Al Horford expected to leave in free agency as well, the Celtics will address an uncertain future at the position. Boston also rose back over the second apron line by roughly $300,000, and sits $19 million over the luxury tax threshold. That sets up more moves to make their roster make sense. They begin summer league on Friday at 4 EST against the Grizzlies with a roster headlined by Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Amari Williams and Max Shulga. It's unclear how much first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez will play, though he said he hopes to participate during his introduction last week. 

The Celtics have also been linked to free agent Damian Lillard, with the Boston Globe reporting mutual interest between the star, who will spend most of 2025-26 recovering from achilles surgery like Jayson Tatum. He'll be 36 in 2026-27. 

Brooklyn: Traded Cam Johnson after he played parts of three seasons for the Nets following the Kevin Durant trade, receiving Michael Porter Jr. from the Nuggets (2yrs, $79.1M) alongside a 2032 Nuggets first-round pick. The move continued the Nets' process of accumulating first-rounders and cap space flexibility since dealing Durant to Phoenix. They'll showcase their five rookies at summer league next week, headlined by top selection Egor Demin. Brooklyn could also potentially trade Porter again for more draft capital. 

Charlotte: Re-signed Tre Mann for three years, $24 million after a promising start to last season went sideways following an injury, along with veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie (1yr, $3.6M). Mason Plumlee will likely start at center after signing a minimum ($2.3M) and they acquired Pat Connaughton (1yr, $9.4M) in a salary dump as their roster signals another transition year around their young core. Vasilije Micić went to Milwaukee in the Connaughton deal, who's expected to receive a buyout to return to Europe.

Dallas: Still no extension for Jason Kidd here after he lost more assistants, including God Shammgod to the Magic and Jared Dudley becoming the Nuggets' top assistant. Nico Harrison has stressed that Kidd isn't going anywhere, and the Knicks' long-running connection to him ended with the Mike Brown hire this week, so Kidd will at least coach this season in Dallas. The turnover on his staff left questions beyond that. Don't expect the Mavs, loosely connected to LeBron James, to trade for him, according to a report. 

Denver: Acquired Cam Johnson in a risky trade with the Nets to solidify their core around Nikola Jokić, sending a first and Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn. Johnson is 29 this season, appeared in only 57 games in each of the past two seasons and averaged 16.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.9 APG and shot 46.2% FG (39.0% 3PT on 6.6 att.) over that stretch. Porter, who's dealt with injuries throughout his basketball career, appeared in 77 games for Denver in 2025 after playing 81 the year prior. The Nuggets and Kings then agreed to swap Dario Šarić and Jonas Valančiūnas, giving Denver its best backup center since Jokić and Jusuf Nurkić played together, before reports revealed that Valančiūnas will consider ending his NBA career to join Panathinaikos in Greece by forfeiting his $10.4 million NBA salary next season. The departure would open a sizable need on the Nuggets roster that Al Horford could reliably fill, but the two sides haven't been heavily linked as Horford landing in Golden State continues to sound like a foregone conclusion. Valančiūnas' deal from Panathinaikos is reportedly valued at three-years, 12 million Euros.

Detroit: Moved on from Malik Beasley amid his investigation over prop bets related to his performance, signing Heat shooter Duncan Robinson (3yrs, $45M) and Hawks sixth man Caris LeVert (2yrs, $28.9M) to replace his playmaking and shooting. Paul Reed also returned on a two-year, $10.5 million contract, giving the Pistons three options at center. The Detroit News did an investigation into Beasley's finances and found five lawsuits and more than one dozen liens placed against him from businesses ranging from barbers to an apartment complex to a dentist. Beasley and the businessesBeasley's former representatives Hazan Sports sued him for breaching a marketing deal. Beasley is a person of interest in a gambling investigation out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, his lawyer Steve Haney confirmed to The Athletic. Detroit reportedly would've re-signed him to a new three-year, $42 million contract before they became aware of the investigation, which hasn't produced charges yet. 

“This is simply an investigation,” Haney said. “At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing. Hopefully, everyone will afford him that same presumption of innocence that everyone else deserves.”

Golden State: On the verge of signing Al Horford to a contract to make him their starting center alongside Draymond Green as the Warriors try to contend late in Steph Curry's career. The Warriors will likely have the taxpayer mid-level ($5.7M) to offer Horford across multiple seasons once they settle Jonathan Kuminga's free agency. Golden State has expressed interest in re-signing Kuminga, while his departure would need to be facilitated through sign-and-trade, with returning players potentially limiting the Warriors' flexibility beneath the second apron. The Kings, Wizards, Heat, Bulls, Bucks and Nets have expressed interest in Kuminga, with only Brooklyn having the cap space to field an offer sheet, which the Warriors would have the option to match. Sacramento offered Devin Carter, Dario Šarić and two second-round picks, according to The Athletic, which Golden State declined. Washington stands out as an intriguing partner, with the minutes to let Kuminga play freely and veterans who could help the Warriors out immediately in return. 

Houston: Signed Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year, $53 million deal after the Lakers failed to retain him following his opt-out. Then, they acquired Clint Capela in a surprising sign-and-trade with Atlanta that'll reportedly become part of a seven-team trade that'll mark the largest in NBA history to tie together the finances of various reported deals around the league when the moratorium ends on Sunday. Capela returns to the Rockets, where he started his career, for three-years, $21.5 million, and gives Houston the flexibility to move Steven Adams or Alperen Şengün if necessary down the line. Finney-Smith allows for the same on the perimeter, and the Rockets now have arguably the best ability in the NBA to acquire another star like Giannis Antetokounmpo if one becomes available. The seven-team trade that involves Capela will also include the Warriors, Nets, Timberwolves, Lakers and Suns. The Rockets waived veteran big Jock Landale, declining his team option after adding Capela. Landale quickly agreed to a deal with the Grizzlies. They also freed sparsely used wing prospect Cam Whitmore, trading him to the Wizards for a pair of second-rounders. 

Indiana: Tyrese Haliburton attended Summer League practice in good spirits after undergoing Achilles surgery, a development that's still hard to fathom after he led the Pacers one game from a championship only weeks ago. The team lost Myles Turner to Milwaukee, placing their ability to compete at the level they did this season in some doubt. Indiana acquired Jay Huff, a big center who had a solid season with the Grizzlies, to make up for the loss alongside returning Tony Bradley. Huff shot 51.5% from the field and 40.5% from three on over three attempts per game in Memphis. The Grizzlies received rights to a pair of Pacers second-rounders. Huff is signed for three years, $8 million. 

Clippers: Still look like the landing spot for Chris Paul, who reportedly wants a starting role and a home close to Los Angeles. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs last season while earning $10.5 million. The Clippers made their free agency splash with their mid-level (2yr, $18M), signing veteran Brook Lopez to fill center minutes alongside Ivica Zubac. 

Lakers: The LeBron James drama appears likely to loom heavily over their season, with the Lakers reportedly viewing James as an expiring contract rather than part of their future building around Luka Dončić. Rich Paul reportedly alerted the team that he would make a statement about James assessing the situation in LA following his opt-in, while teams around the league that could have interest in James were surprised, according to Brian Windhorst. The Lakers addressed center by signing Deandre Ayton following his release from the Trail Blazers, adding an underrated roller alongside Dončić whose off-court habits have been criticized since his days in Phoenix. Jaxson Hayes returned in a reserve role, filling the roster after they had been mentioned as an Al Horford destination. It doesn't appear that they have the flexibility to lure him away from Golden State now, though more moves could follow. James has a no-trade clause and enormous leverage over his desired next team if he decides to move on from LA. That could limit the number of suitors. 

"There were a few inquiries from eyebrow-raised teams," ESPN reported. "Just to gauge whether this was something or nothing. For now, there is no action. But it is surely being monitored." 

Milwaukee: Waived-and-stretched Damian Lillard, shocking the NBA world with two years and over $100 million left on his contract. The Bucks will now accept a $22.5 million cap hit through 2029-30, an unprecedented dead cap commitment for a team still set on doing whatever it takes to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo. That also involved trading 2021 champion Pat Connaughton for the additional space needed to sign rival center Myles Turner, who will share the frontcourt with Antetokounmpo after signing a four-year, $107 million deal to leave the Pacers after 10 years. Milwaukee and Indiana became heated rivals across recent seasons, adding to the addition's intrigue. Most expected Turner to re-sign with the Pacers in free agency. Lillard now becomes a free agent for the first time after tearing his achilles in April, shortly after returning from deep vein thrombosis that threatened his season and career. He recovered and returned from the blood clot in record time. The Celtics, Lakers and Warriors expressed the earliest interest in signing him. The Bucks originally traded Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first and pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 to acquire Lillard in 2023. Boston quickly acquired Holiday from Portland and won the 2024 title.

New Orleans: Hard to fathom how drastically this roster has deteriorated into the start of Joe Dumars' tenure. It's unclear what upside remains for Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles in January, and now rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen begin their careers with significant roles and expectations after the team traded 2026 Bucks pick rights to Atlanta to select Queen. Recent prospects like Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Hawkins, Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi fared well under the previous David Griffin front office and remain, creating some hope that New Orleans can continue its development success. It hasn't come close to producing winning, however. 

New York: Hired Mike Brown as their head coach after an extensive search that stretched back to May. The Kings fired Brown at 13-18 into his third season after leading Sacramento to its first playoff berth since 2006. He oversaw excellent offenses there, and brought a defensive pedigree despite mixed results on that end. His recent experience coaching Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox saw him balance offensive strengths with defensive limitations, which will become his biggest challenge in overtaking the Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combination that Tom Thibodeau struggled to perfect last season. Brown will begin his tenure with more reliable depth than Thibodeau coached after the Knicks signed Jordan Clarkson, who the Jazz bought out earlier this month. New York also added Guesrchon Yabusele for taxpayer mid-level money. He reportedly only received a minimum from Philadelphia. Brown agreed to a four-year, $40 million deal on top of the $30 million that the Knicks owed Thibodeau. 

Oklahoma City: GM Sam Presti spoke out about the NBA's Achilles tear outbreak last week, splitting with Adam Silver, who mostly downplayed concerns about the rise in tears this season. Presti stressed that the speed, intensity and athleticism in the game present new challenges alongside the schedule, which the NBA has been hesitant to alter in terms of calendar length each year and the 82 games that the league has played since 1967-68. Nikola Topić made his Thunder Summer League debut after tearing his ACL in May before the draft. The Thunder still selected him 12th overall as one of the class' top guards. He posted 14 points with four assists and seven turnovers, shooting 6-for-11. Second-year wing Ajay Mitchell scored 24 points with six assists. First-round pick center Thomas Sorber did not play in the opener. 

Orlando: Re-signed center Moe Wagner on a one-year deal worth around the taxpayer mid-level. He'll continue recovering from knee surgery into the season after tearing his ACL in December. 

Philadelphia: VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, showed out in his Summer League debut with 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on 13-for-27 shooting. The Sixers are a Vegas team worth watching, and despite the flaws at the top of their roster between Joel Embiid and Paul George, they've assembled an impressive cast of younger contributors between Tyrese Maxey, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, Jared McCain and now rookies Edgecombe and Johni Broome, who scored 13 points on Saturday. No. 5 pick Ace Bailey struggled opposite of Edgecombe for Utah, shooting 3-for-13 and scoring eight points with a team worst -12. 

Phoenix: Discussing a buyout with Bradley Beal because the waive-and-stretch rule prevents teams from stretching 15% of their salary cap in a given season. That might require absorbing his massive cap hit between this year and next if the Suns decide to move on. While tensions between the two sides may have increased past the point of no return, Beal's past two seasons don't look horrendous on the stat sheet beyond games played -- 17.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 4.3 APG on 40.7% three-point shooting. A rival team would quickly scoop him up while having Phoenix cover the bill, and the Heat, Bucks and others have expressed interest. Beal would need to give back $13.8 million to make a stretch possible. The Celtics signed former Sun Jalen Bridges to a training camp and summer league deal. The former West Virginia and Baylor wing went undrafted in 2024 and shot 38.6% from three in the G-League playing on a two-way. He's 24-years-old. 

Sacramento: What are they doing? Signed Dennis Schröder for three years, $44.4 million, traded Jonas Valančiūnas for Dario Šarić, then added Drew Eubanks after his release from the Clippers. They're still building around Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, while reportedly exploring trade possibilities for DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and young guard Devin Carter. They own their future first-round picks, and this roster is in enough flux to watch out for them doing something drastic later in the summer. They reportedly fell short on acquiring Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors, who would become another interesting fit on this roster. 

San Antonio: Signed Luke Kornet to a four-year, $41 million contract that'll pair him with fellow seven-footer Victor Wembanyama to create one of the league's most compelling defensive center combinations. Kornet made a massive leap with the Celtics at 29 despite playing behind Kristaps Porziņģis. Per 36 minutes, he averaged 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 blocks while standing alongside Wembanyama and others as the most effective deterrents in the restricted area. He and Jayson Tatum emerged as one of the league's most dynamic pick-and-roll combinations, something Kornet and De'Aaron Fox could tap into, and Kornet attended high school 4-5 hours north of San Antonio. The fit works here, despite Boston's system bringing the best out of Kornet on offense. Boston couldn't carve out enough luxury tax and second apron room to retain Kornet despite hope that their ability to offer five-years could prevail. The Spurs ultimately used most of their mid-level exception over four years to get it done. Kornet was an excellent Celtic. 

Toronto: Agreed to a four-year, $104 million extension with center Jakob Poeltl that takes him off the trade market for six months and makes major Raptor trades difficult over that stretch. They're going forward with their core of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Poeltl for now. 

Utah: Another bizarre revelation in the Ace Bailey saga: his agent Omar Cooper's son Omar Jr. joined the Jazz' Summer League coaching staff as a guest coach as he makes his way into coaching after playing at McNeese State through this past season.