Spotrac has been updated.
They estimate that we're still $331k above the second apron, and $20.2 million above the tax line (after the Garza and Minott signings).
Right now, we're projected to pay $88.44 million in luxury tax.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/yearly
Note: waiving and stretching Simons would save us $18,452,647.33 this year. Cutting Davison would then get us below the tax line, I believe. (For those who object to carrying dead money, would ownership carry $9.2 million in dead money for two more seasons to save $88 million? I think they would, although I think they'll try to deal Simons for smaller contracts first).
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/yearly
The way for them to fully reset the clock is by going under the tax line right? Let?s say they want to spend more in 26-27 they shouldn?t really go over the second apron unless they reset the clock is my understanding. Getting below the first apron doesn?t reset it I don?t believe? Unless they are then below the second apron for two years in a row.
If this is actually true which I am no expert on really then it makes sense to bite the bullet this year and do almost whatever it takes to get below the tax like so they can spend without as much concern next year.
Now whether they actually spend that much next year who knows of course.
They'd need to get below the tax BOTH this year, 25-26, and next year, 26-27, to reset the repeater tax.
I'm not 100% convinced that's the plan. I'm sure they'd love to get below the tax this year, teams that aren't competing typically don't love paying tax. But if they want to compete going forward they are going to have to pay the tax, and if they don't do so in 26-27 it actually becomes pretty difficult to build back up your spending.
I think the plan is probably more like be as inexpensive this year as possible and then build back up in summer 2026.
But also, its not my money.
how ate they going to build back up though? That is the fundamental problem they have. They dont have any way to add anyone good to the team without trading one of the big 3.
Sure they do, plenty of ways.
1) They could re-sign Simons then use him at a later date as matching salary in a trade.
2) They could aggregate some combo of Hauser/Pritchard/mins/young guys to bring in someone making something like 15-20 million.
3) They could let Simons walk and use the 22-million-dollar TPE they will generate from the KP trade next summer to either acquire someone via S&T or take back money in an unbalanced trade.
4) If they shed more money they could have access to the tax or even non tax MLE.
Depending on what exactly they do with Niang/Simons they won't have access to all these avenues, for example they probably can't re-sign Simons and use any TPE's because using TPE's hardcaps you at a level they'd be above with if Simon's returns.
5) Get some internal development from Scheierman/Walsh/Hugo or get some lottery luck next year and draft someone good.
I know its been a couple years since the Celtics really had to build back up their team, but there are ways to do it. They aren't in MUCH worse of a situation the then they were two years ago before acquiring KP and Holiday. They have work to do, but its doable work.
