To say that tensions were high entering the 2023-24 NBA season for the Boston Celtics would be an understatement. Like the Los Angeles Lakers, their bitter rivals, the Celtics are one of the most historic professional sports franchises in the world. The 17 championship banners and all the retired numbers hanging in the rafters of TD Garden speak to the legacy the Celtics hold, yet quite some time has passed since 2008, when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce led the team to their 17th title.
A 15-season title drought is rare for the Celtics, which is why Brad Stevens and the front office got to work last offseason when Boston lost in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the last four seasons. Even though the Celtics were forced to sacrifice key members of their roster like Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon, two All-Stars in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis joined the fold. Boston went on to win a league-high 64 games, and they looked unstoppable in the postseason en route to their 18th championship in team history.
The Celtics are once again at the top of the NBA world. Jayson Tatum finally has a ring, Jaylen Brown has cemented his status as one of the best wings in the league by earning the Finals MVP award, and this roster appears to be intact for many years to come.
Unlike many championship teams, which tend to go through massive changes due to players searching for larger contracts and roles, the Celtics are unique in the sense that they are truly one unit. Some questioned how Porzingis would fit in off the ball next to Tatum and Brown, but the Latvian big man had arguably the best season of his career in Boston. Holiday continues to be one of the best two-way guards in the league, and Derrick White has really emerged as this organization's most important player in the sense that he is the X-factor.
White can do a little bit of everything, which is why he is so valuable. This past season, during the C's championship run, White averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range. He earned All-Defensive Second Team honors for the second straight season, and the 30-year-old combo guard even registered some votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
With two All-NBA-like scorers, Porzingis as a two-way big man who can stretch the floor, and two very strong defensive guards that can hunt their own shots on offense, the Celtics have everything they need to run things back. In fact, just about two months away from the 2024-25 season, the Celtics are resounding favorites to win their second straight title. Should they be able to achieve this, Boston would be the first team to go back-to-back since the Golden State Warriors did so with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018.
Anything can happen, though, and there is a lot of time between now and the start of the 2025 playoffs. But the underlying factor is that the Celtics retained everyone from their championship roster this offseason.
The same team that just won 64 games during the regular season is on a quest to win their second-straight title, and the entire core of the Celtics roster is under contract for years to come.
Could this be the start of the NBA's next dynasty?
Celtics key offseason contracts
Extensions: F Jayson Tatum (5yr/314M), G Derrick White (4yr/118M), F Sam Hauser (4yr/45M)
New contracts: C Xavier Tillman Sr. (2yr/4.78M), C Luke Kornet (1yr/2.8M), C Neemias Queta (3yr/7.18M), F Drew Peterson (Two-Way), G Baylor Scheierman (Draft), F Anton Watson (Draft)
It is never easy to keep a championship team together. Egos always grow larger, and players simply want to be rewarded with higher-paying contracts due to the team's success. Just like in your daily work life, when the company does well, you want to earn your fair share of the prize.
None of this was the case for the Celtics this offseason, as their only goal is to continue pursuing championships. The Warriors were the latest dynasty in the league, and now it may very well be Boston's time to once again run things because they made it their mission to keep everyone during the offseason.
From Tatum to Drew Peterson, nobody from the championship roster was left behind. Taxes and payroll don't seem to matter to Boston, as the only thing better than one title is winning a second.
That was the motivation behind Stevens and the Celtics' front office keeping virtually everyone around. It was also one of the main reasons behind giving Tatum the largest contract in NBA history, just one year after Brown earned this distinction.
Since the moment he entered the league, Tatum has been one of the best offensive players. However, he has never truly received the respect he deserves because of Boston's inability to win late in the playoffs. Although this doesn't all fall on Tatum, he ended up being the one fans pointed at the most because he is the face of the Celtics.
Well, nobody can really say anything about Tatum anymore, as 2024 saw the 26-year-old star claim his first NBA title, his first Olympic gold medal, and he was named to the All-NBA First Team for the third straight year. What else does Tatum need to do in order to command respect from the NBA faithful?
Tatum surely doesn't need to earn his organization's respect, as they gave it to him in the form of $315 million over the course of five years, the largest contract in NBA history. Much like how Larry Bird was the face of the Celtics a few decades ago, this title now belongs to Tatum, as he looks to hang even more banners in TD Garden.
Aside from extending Tatum, the Celtics also focused their attention on White, who had one more year left on his contract. White was able to get a four-year, $118 million extension to remain in Boston through the 2028-29 season, and this is perhaps the most important contract for the franchise due to the combo guard's abilities to simply impact winning. The Celtics keep White at an affordable price, and the veteran gets to finally cash in on his accomplishments. This was a win-win deal.
The only other extension Boston agreed to this summer was with sharpshooter Sam Hauser, as he earned a four-year, $45 million deal to remain with the Celtics. Tatum and White were the only core members of the roster that needed new deals, as Brown got his massive extension last offseason, and Porzingis extended his contract upon arrival from his trade. Holiday didn't need a new deal this offseason either after agreeing to a four-year, $135 million extension before the Celtics' postseason run in April.
All five of Boston's starters are now under contract for at least the next two seasons, and the Celtics were one of the only teams not to make a single addition in free agency this offseason. However, retaining talent comes at a price, and the Celtics are in for a rude awakening moving forward when they look at their financial situation.
Boston's long-term financial situation
After giving out contracts to basically everyone that played a role in the recent championship run, the Celtics' payroll for the 2024-25 season stands above $200 million. Not only is Boston above the first tax apron, but they are also above the second tax apron.
Essentially, this means that the Celtics are severely limited if they look to make any sort of trade, they won't be able to sign players that get bought out of their contracts in the middle of the season, and the two small trade exceptions they have are worthless. It also means that the Celtics are going to be paying a lot of money in luxury taxes in order to run things back and pursue another title. As of right now, the Celtics are looking at a tax bill in the $60 million range.
Regardless of what happens during the 2024-25 season, the Celtics are already locked into their roster for the 2025-26 season. Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Holiday, and White will combine to make just under $200 million combined during the 2025-26 season, and the contracts of Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard push Boston's payroll to about $220 million for just seven players. Once they fill out the rest of their roster, the Celtics could very well end up with a team that will cost close to $500 million between contracts and taxes.
Perhaps this is the reason that long-time owner Wyc Grousbeck put his controlling ownership stake in the organization up for sale. Although there is nothing imminent in terms of another group wanting to purchase Grousbeck's stake in the Celtics, the fact that a change in ownership is on the horizon in Boston symbolizes the internal fear of how much this team is going to cost.
The Celtics' entire starting five will make a combined $361.7 million over the next two seasons. Porzingis is going to be the first player to become a free agent following the 2025-26 season. As things pertain to Boston's two stars, the organization is set to pay Tatum and Brown over $550 million through the 2028-29 season.
These two players alone give Boston no options in terms of finding financial relief, which is why this dynasty the Celtics believe they have created is simply a facade. Everything looks pretty and neat for the Celtics, but their financial situation is going to cause things to fall apart internally.
The only way this organization can solve the problem at hand is if they are to get rid of one of their big contracts over the next few seasons. For example, if Boston were to give up Porzingis or Holiday, they would instantly create a near $60 million buffer between salaries and taxes to ease the troubles of fielding this team.
In order to win in the NBA, you have to be willing to pay the price, literally. The Warriors did so for many years when they owned the league's highest tax bill, and now it appears as if the Celtics are following in their footsteps.
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This offseason was about maintaining and extending for the Celtics, a decision that could wind up leading them down a path of a messy rebuild by the end of this decade. Then again, winning a few more championships would make this problem well worth it.
Celtics 2024-25 season outlook
There is absolutely no reason to think that the Celtics can't repeat as champions. Sure, injuries are a major storyline every NBA season, but as long as the Celtics have their core group together, no other team in the league has the talent on both sides of the floor to overtake them right now.
What is most impressive about the Celtics and the group they have assembled is how unselfish everyone is. Tatum averaged 30.1 points per game during the 2022-23 season, yet he was willing to lessen his opportunities with the arrivals of Porzingis and Holiday. In the playoffs, Tatum's leadership and unselfishness were on full display when he averaged 6.3 assists per game and allowed guys like Brown and White to be the driving force of the offense.
That is why the Celtics are a very special team.
On any given night, any of their five starters can explode for at least 20 points, and you can't leave anyone open. Boston shot 38.8 percent from deep as a team last season, which was second in the league, and they were also one of the best rebounding teams. Not to mention, the Celtics also ranked third in defensive rating, next to ranking first in offensive rating.
How do you beat this team?
Boston never lost more than two games in a row during the 2023-24 season, and their championship run with a 16-3 postseason record speaks for itself. What the Celtics achieved last year was one of the most complete seasons we have seen from a team in quite some time.
Expectations are once again very high for the Celtics, but there is no reason to believe that they can't win another title this upcoming year. Even with the financial problems of the future looming, this team has been assembled to win right now.
Until proven otherwise, the Celtics are the team to beat in the NBA.
