Could the Celtics part ways with their key players?
The Boston Celtics are on a mission to win back-to-back championships, and it looks like they're ready to defend their title. Throughout the past two seasons, the Celtics have shown that they have one of the best teams in the league, and anything short of an Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals appearance is a disappointment.
Many expect the Celtics to be right back in the Finals this season, but in the event that they don't, it's going to be time to look at the roster to trade some players, according to Jake Fischer.
“The question is what happens if these Celtics fall short of a repeat,” Fischer wrote. “It seems you can safely save a spot for Boston on the list of teams this offseason whose potential business will be determined in large part by how it fares in the postseason. Maybe not to the same degree as a Phoenix, Sacramento or Milwaukee, but the Celtics are clearly going to be confronted with some tough decisions about key rotation players.
“The two major salaries that league figures are monitoring in possible future trades: Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday.”
Porzingis and Holiday are two players that the Celtics acquired last season and were major reasons for them winning the championship. Just like everyone knows, at some point you can't pay everyone on the team, and that means trades have to happen.
Could Celtics trade key players soon?![Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) shoots the ball while Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) and guard Jrue Holiday (4) look on during the first half at TD Garden.]()
Porzingis has an expiring deal worth $30.7 million for 2025-2026 that could be used in a deal and could save the Celtics a lot of money. Though Porzingis has been a help to the Celtics since arriving, he's also been hurt a lot, and they may not want to put such a high investment into him for the future.
Over the next three seasons, Holiday is owed $104 million, and the Celtics would once again be saving money by trading him. He and Derrick White have similar play styles, and they could always give Payton Pritchard more minutes to offset the loss if they trade him.
As
As of now, it seems as if Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and White are the three players who seem less likely to be traded anytime soon. White was acquired in 2022 at the trade deadline and has been a key part of the Celtics franchise, so it's unlikely he will go anywhere. Tatum and Brown are the clear franchise players on the team, and though so many people have wanted them broken up over the years, it seems far from happening.
