The Boston Celtics were expected to make several big moves over the offseason, and they have done just that — though an NBA writer gave them a low grade for their deals so far.
The Celtics traded away center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday, and let free agent Luke Kornet walk during free agency.
Boston added Luka Garza, Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, and Josh Minott, all players who offer less proven NBA production than the players that left the team.
Given the massive loss of talent, on face value, Boston looks ready to take a step back on the court, and Bleacher Report NBA writer Greg Swartz gave the team a 'D' for their offseason so far.
"It's been a rough offseason for the Boston Celtics as they've prioritized cutting payroll over upgrading the roster," Swartz wrote in his article.
"It doesn't look like Al Horford is coming back in free agency and Kornet left to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. Boston is extremely thin up front, an area where Garza will help little.
"Veteran free agents looking to win have clearly avoided the Celtics given Jayson Tatum's injury, although there are certainly big roles available at power forward and center.
"Minott is 22 and carries some upside yet wasn't able to crack the Minnesota Timberwolves rotation the past three years. Celtics fans may want to hibernate this winter and hope for a brighter 2026."
While the team lost talent for the immediate future, the Celtics needed to save cap space due to luxury tax problems.
Fielding a competitive team year after year is expensive for ownership, and the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement gives penalties to teams with massive salary sheets.
The Celtics were in a position to get those penalties, though the trades and money-saving moves give the team long-term salary relief and flexibility to get additional deals done.
With Jayson Tatum out for the upcoming season, the organization made the calculation that it was not worth keeping the team together. Now, they face the consequences since the team doesn't appear good enough to compete for a title.
