Celtics Off-Season News

[Celtics2021]

NBA sources on Twitter like Stein and Cato are saying that the Mavs are trying to work a S&T with the Celtics for Grant by possibly trading Tim  Hardaway jr to the Spurs.

What or who do we get in return?

I’d guess a pick and/or a second tier prospect.  If it’s a true three-way deal we’d have to get something from San Antonio.  If it’s split into two parts (Dallas moves THJ then made a S&T for Grant) it could just be something from Dallas.

I’m going to hope for Malaki BranHAM IR Josh Green, but expect Blake Wesley or Jaden Hardy.

[Celtics2021]

If the Celtics are going to stock up on some semi-prospects like Banton, I’d like them to go after Moussa Diabate.  He’s a restricted free agent, but the Clippers are out of roster spots, so they’re trying to sneak him through on another two-way.  If they do let Grant walk, signing Diabate would give the team a couple hundred thousand extra space relative to a vet min free agent, allowing them to use a little more of the taxpayer MLE to fill out their roster.

[celticinorlando]

I hope to god this isn’t it. Banton and Brissett? Please tell me you have something else planned Brad especially when two of your key bench players are usually hurt.

I’m sure Brad will sign and trade grant to get a TPE they never use and fill out the rest of the roster with summer league players.

[cman88]

https://theathletic.com/4664367/2023/07/04/jaylen-brown-extension-celtics-grant-williams/

Latest on Jaylen Brown extension talks, Grant Williams and Celtics’ next moves

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 23: Jaylen Brown #7 and Grant Williams #12 of the Boston Celtics interact against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on May 23, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
By Jared Weiss
4h ago
10

As the NBA universe heads to Las Vegas this week, the Celtics’ offseason is about to switch into high gear. From extensions to free agents to trades, Brad Stevens’ front office has plenty on its plate to resolve when the free agency moratorium ends on July 6 and deals can start being executed.

While the Jaylen Brown extension is the most important piece of business, league and team sources told The Athletic the first domino they expect to fall will be Grant Williams’ restricted free agency. The sources were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

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Though most of the league’s cap space has dried up at this point, the expectation with Williams has always been that a sign-and-trade or midlevel exception (MLE) would be the likely outcome. Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, New York and Washington are all still in the mix, according to league sources, with Williams eligible to sign an offer sheet on July 6. The Celtics have 24 hours to match once the sheet is signed.

Boston has been seeking a first-round pick in return for Williams, according to league sources, though it’s rare for a sign-and-trade for a role player to yield that significant of a return. Once Williams’ situation is resolved, the Celtics will have a clearer picture of how they can build for the future around Brown’s extension.

Discussions over a designated veteran extension for Brown are expected to pick up steam soon, as the negotiating parties head to Las Vegas Summer League. While several designated rookie extensions have been agreed upon since free agency opened, the Brown contract is more complicated. Sources with knowledge of the discussions told The Athletic that the delay is due to the flurry of free agency activity this past week.

Brown can make 35 percent of the cap as a designated veteran as opposed to just 30 percent for the rookie supermaxes. He’s entering his age-27 season, and there’s no longer the expectation he will significantly improve, so he has to be worth his salary right now.

After signing a below-max deal last time that included some sizable incentives at the time, this new extension will be more complicated than just agreeing on a number. Even if Boston offers the full five-year, $295 million deal, the team will want to build in an incentive structure while Brown’s camp can push for an early termination option (ETO) after Year 3 or a player option in Year 5, as Jayson Tatum received. An ETO would give Brown a chance for another five-year max deal while he’s still in his prime.

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Brown currently has achievable incentives like making the All-Star team and progressing deep in the playoffs, but there have been recent high-profile deals like Jordan Poole’s that included bonuses for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive team nods. Those essentially unattainable incentives at least allowed Poole to get his number close to the max as a point of pride, but Brown is likely beyond putting up appearances.


Derrick White and Grant Williams. (Adam Glanzman / Getty Images)
Even before Williams’ deal comes together, Kristaps Porziņģis’ new extension can help Brown get what he wants. Porziņģis will make $36 million this season, then take a pay cut on his reported two-year, $60 million extension to around $29.8 million for 2024-25 and then $31.2 million in 2025-26. That drop will be crucial for the Celtics trying to navigate the second apron next season and help inform what kind of guaranteed money they can offer Brown or the deal they could match with Williams.

Multiple league sources told The Athletic that they expect the Celtics to consider matching a deal up to the $12.4 million MLE that teams such as Charlotte and Atlanta can offer. But those teams, as well as Dallas, New York and Washington, can work out a sign-and-trade with the Celtics to bring in Williams for a salary Boston wouldn’t match. Williams can’t sign an offer sheet until July 6, so teams have time to get a read on how deep into the teens they can push the Celtics before Boston relents.

Porziņģis signing for below his max extension’s value helps create room under the second apron to pay Williams, but that would be so much total money to commit to a big-man rotation. Unless the Celtics are going to play double big the vast majority of the time, it’s hard to justify without shipping out another big in 2024.

Oshae Brissett’s arrival gives them a low-cost alternative for Williams’ role at the four, as he can crash the glass and guard a few positions. It would be a notable downgrade, but the Celtics will have to sacrifice somewhere in the rotation to survive the new CBA’s dramatic restrictions. Paying four rotation bigs seems like a thing of the past now for everyone in the league.

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Boston’s approach in recent years has been to build up a deep rotation around two stars. So, a pivot to a third star in Porziņģis, even if he is making less than the max, means they can’t afford to pay eight starting-caliber players fair market value like they did last season. The new second apron means teams can afford to do that for one, maybe two years before they have to back down. The Celtics could make life easy by salary-dumping Malcolm Brogdon, but they’d then have a huge point-guard problem.

Even after the Brogdon trade to the Clippers fell apart before the draft, when the Celtics sent Marcus Smart to Memphis instead, a potential Los Angeles deal still could be in play. The Clippers have been looking for a new home for Marcus Morris — while Norman Powell has also come up in potential deals, according to league sources — but the Celtics would need a third team to take the player on. The Clippers are reportedly the front-runners to land James Harden, so that could hold up progress on a Brogdon deal.

The Celtics have reportedly registered interest in Damian Lillard now that his trade request is official, but the Blazers star has been strongly linked to Miami. Because Lillard is locked in long-term, he can’t use the threat of leaving in free agency to scare teams off. The Celtics could get into the mix for Lillard, though they don’t have a blue-chip prospect to build a trade around unless they can’t get a deal done with Brown.

Whether it’s dealing Williams or Brogdon, Boston’s priority likely will be bringing in a ballhandler to complement White as the starting point guard. The Celtics agreed to a deal with Raptors backup point guard Dalano Banton, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, but he is expected to serve as more of a deep reserve across the backcourt rather than a core part of their offensive plans.


Boston will have more minimum salary signings ahead to fill out the roster, but any addition to the core rotation will have to come with a subtraction. Brown isn’t going anywhere at the moment, so the Celtics have time to figure out everything else before getting across the finish line with their top priority.

Seems like Celtics waiting to see how the Grant williams situation resolves itself. so, if Grant gets an MLE deal, do we match it and just deal with it later?

[gouki88]

NBA sources on Twitter like Stein and Cato are saying that the Mavs are trying to work a S&T with the Celtics for Grant by possibly trading Tim  Hardaway jr to the Spurs.

What or who do we get in return?

I’d guess a pick and/or a second tier prospect.  If it’s a true three-way deal we’d have to get something from San Antonio.  If it’s split into two parts (Dallas moves THJ then made a S&T for Grant) it could just be something from Dallas.

I’m going to hope for Malaki BranHAM IR Josh Green, but expect Blake Wesley or Jaden Hardy.

Branham would be incredible. One of the best floaters in the whole NBA. Would be fine with the others, but Branham would be great

[celticinorlando]

That update sounded depressing. Doesn’t sound like the Celtics would even take a player back in the grant sign and trade. At this point you are better off signing him.

So it seems Brissett will be counted on the play and Banton is just going to be a two way player that doesn’t see the floor.

Saying the priority is another point guard to pair with white is interesting. No mention of PP. Brogdan seems to be the guy Brad wants to move

[Celtics2021]

That update sounded depressing. Doesn’t sound like the Celtics would even take a player back in the grant sign and trade. At this point you are better off signing him.

So it seems Brissett will be counted on the play and Banton is just going to be a two way player that doesn’t see the floor.

Saying the priority is another point guard to pair with white is interesting. No mention of PP. Brogdan seems to be the guy Brad wants to move

The Celtics could take back someone making under about $4.5 million, because that would keep them below the second apron after having filled out the roster.  So I think they’d be willing to take back a recent 1st instead of a future first, if they could get a player they liked (as opposed to some team’s version of Romeo Langford).

If they don’t, then they’ll be able to use most of the TP MLE to sign someone.  Pickings are slim at this point, but free agency musical chairs is stopping soon and there are still some players left without a team like Kelly Oubre Jr.

[Vermont Green]

I still feel that the most likely outcome is that we end up with Grant.  That would leave us a "top 10" of:

White       Pritchard
Brown      Brogdon
Tatum      Hauser
Porzingis  (Grant)
Horford    RWill

That is a very solid top 10.  You could quibble that Pritchard and Hauser are "weakish" for your 9th and 10th players but there could still be some changes/adds to potentially reinforce this top 10.  In addition to the 9 guaranteed contract in the top 10, my understanding is that Brissett and Banton are also guaranteed, so total right now is 11 guaranteed contracts.

After the top 10, if I have it right, we are trending towards some combination of the following for the remaining 5:

Davison
Champagnie
Banton
Brissett
Walsh
Kornet

This is a pretty weak group, even considering it is slots 11-15.  I predict that some of these will end up as 2-way players and that we still may see a FA add or two.  Griffin was useful in the regular season and I could see him coming back.  There are still a few wings out there also, such as Oubre, so we shall see how it goes.  Brissett may be in the Pritchard-Hauser range, I don't know.  Kornet is useful enough as a 3rd string big.  I don't really expect any contribution from Davison, Banton, Walsh, or Champagnie.  To me, these are all potential 2-way players (replaced with some vet FA, or if extra players come back in a trade), or Champagnie for example, could easily be cut if his roster spot is needed.  I guess Banton is Guaranteed so he can't be 2-way.

I don't see much happening until Grant is settled but I do think we are still fishing for some select vet FAs.  Pretty much all we can offer right now are min contracts so no one good is going to be in a hurry to settle for that.  They will play out other options.  If we offer some of the MLE, that I think would hard cap us and we would need to have renounced or S&T traded Grant first.

[obnoxiousmime]

That update sounded depressing. Doesn’t sound like the Celtics would even take a player back in the grant sign and trade. At this point you are better off signing him.

So it seems Brissett will be counted on the play and Banton is just going to be a two way player that doesn’t see the floor.

Saying the priority is another point guard to pair with white is interesting. No mention of PP. Brogdan seems to be the guy Brad wants to move

They clearly made the determination White would be the starter and the two guard lineups were too small. That made Brogdon and Smart too expensive as bench/role guys, especially with the new CBA restrictions. I'm sure they would like to split Brogdon's 22m into at least two rotation guys, one being a cheaper backup PG and the other Grant or some other PF. It's just tough that Brogdon has this injury uncertainty and two years left on his deal as opposed to one.

[goCeltics]

One thing I noticed when Walsh was drafted was that he had a Celtics hat handy, could be a sign that they would target him in the 2nd round with the understanding he would be given a 2 way spot.

[goCeltics]

Hopefully they sign Grant and one more free agent like Terrence Davis or maybe Javonte Green as a fall back.

[obnoxiousmime]

I also wanted to point out this part of the article:

Brown can make 35 percent of the cap as a designated veteran as opposed to just 30 percent for the rookie supermaxes. He’s entering his age-27 season, and there’s no longer the expectation he will significantly improve, so he has to be worth his salary right now.

After signing a below-max deal last time that included some sizable incentives at the time, this new extension will be more complicated than just agreeing on a number. Even if Boston offers the full five-year, $295 million deal, the team will want to build in an incentive structure while Brown’s camp can push for an early termination option (ETO) after Year 3 or a player option in Year 5, as Jayson Tatum received. An ETO would give Brown a chance for another five-year max deal while he’s still in his prime.

It's not clear whether Brown not improving significantly anymore at 27 and being "worth" the salary is Weiss' own general opinion, or something the Celtics are actually concerned about. Then later, he writes about the team wanting an "incentive structure" even though Brown isn't really an unproven commodity at this point. Especially since he's not an injury-prone player, it seems insulting to throw in a lot of incentives.

[hpantazo]

I also wanted to point out this part of the article:

Brown can make 35 percent of the cap as a designated veteran as opposed to just 30 percent for the rookie supermaxes. He’s entering his age-27 season, and there’s no longer the expectation he will significantly improve, so he has to be worth his salary right now.

After signing a below-max deal last time that included some sizable incentives at the time, this new extension will be more complicated than just agreeing on a number. Even if Boston offers the full five-year, $295 million deal, the team will want to build in an incentive structure while Brown’s camp can push for an early termination option (ETO) after Year 3 or a player option in Year 5, as Jayson Tatum received. An ETO would give Brown a chance for another five-year max deal while he’s still in his prime.

It's not clear whether Brown not improving significantly anymore at 27 and being "worth" the salary is Weiss' own general opinion, or something the Celtics are actually concerned about. Then later, he writes about the team wanting an "incentive structure" even though Brown isn't really an unproven commodity at this point. Especially since he's not an injury-prone player, it seems insulting to throw in a lot of incentives.

On a player basis, yes, I agree it's insulting to offer Brown an incentive based contract considering his experience, accomplishments and health. However, I think any team that intends to contend should include team performance based incentives for all players on their roster. Small gains for making the playoffs and for each playoff round of success, and larger gains for the conferee finals and NBA finals, and of course, significant bonuses for NBA titles. You want guys to buy in , sacrifice for the team and give it their all to win, build it into their contracts rather than bonuses for individual accomplishments. If a guy gets traded, he has to renegotiate those incentives with the new team as part of the trade.

[Celtics2021]

I also wanted to point out this part of the article:

Brown can make 35 percent of the cap as a designated veteran as opposed to just 30 percent for the rookie supermaxes. He’s entering his age-27 season, and there’s no longer the expectation he will significantly improve, so he has to be worth his salary right now.

After signing a below-max deal last time that included some sizable incentives at the time, this new extension will be more complicated than just agreeing on a number. Even if Boston offers the full five-year, $295 million deal, the team will want to build in an incentive structure while Brown’s camp can push for an early termination option (ETO) after Year 3 or a player option in Year 5, as Jayson Tatum received. An ETO would give Brown a chance for another five-year max deal while he’s still in his prime.

It's not clear whether Brown not improving significantly anymore at 27 and being "worth" the salary is Weiss' own general opinion, or something the Celtics are actually concerned about. Then later, he writes about the team wanting an "incentive structure" even though Brown isn't really an unproven commodity at this point. Especially since he's not an injury-prone player, it seems insulting to throw in a lot of incentives.

On a player basis, yes, I agree it's insulting to offer Brown an incentive based contract considering his experience, accomplishments and health. However, I think any team that intends to contend should include team performance based incentives for all players on their roster. Small gains for making the playoffs and for each playoff round of success, and larger gains for the conferee finals and NBA finals, and of course, significant bonuses for NBA titles. You want guys to buy in , sacrifice for the team and give it their all to win, build it into their contracts rather than bonuses for individual accomplishments. If a guy gets traded, he has to renegotiate those incentives with the new team as part of the trade.

The bolded, of course, is completely prohibited in the CBA.

[hpantazo]

I also wanted to point out this part of the article:

Brown can make 35 percent of the cap as a designated veteran as opposed to just 30 percent for the rookie supermaxes. He’s entering his age-27 season, and there’s no longer the expectation he will significantly improve, so he has to be worth his salary right now.

After signing a below-max deal last time that included some sizable incentives at the time, this new extension will be more complicated than just agreeing on a number. Even if Boston offers the full five-year, $295 million deal, the team will want to build in an incentive structure while Brown’s camp can push for an early termination option (ETO) after Year 3 or a player option in Year 5, as Jayson Tatum received. An ETO would give Brown a chance for another five-year max deal while he’s still in his prime.

It's not clear whether Brown not improving significantly anymore at 27 and being "worth" the salary is Weiss' own general opinion, or something the Celtics are actually concerned about. Then later, he writes about the team wanting an "incentive structure" even though Brown isn't really an unproven commodity at this point. Especially since he's not an injury-prone player, it seems insulting to throw in a lot of incentives.

On a player basis, yes, I agree it's insulting to offer Brown an incentive based contract considering his experience, accomplishments and health. However, I think any team that intends to contend should include team performance based incentives for all players on their roster. Small gains for making the playoffs and for each playoff round of success, and larger gains for the conferee finals and NBA finals, and of course, significant bonuses for NBA titles. You want guys to buy in , sacrifice for the team and give it their all to win, build it into their contracts rather than bonuses for individual accomplishments. If a guy gets traded, he has to renegotiate those incentives with the new team as part of the trade.

The bolded, of course, is completely prohibited in the CBA.

The CBA , which changes every few years. It can of course be revised during negotiations. Otherwise, keep the incentives as written in the contract when a player is traded.