2026-27 Celtics Off Season Discussion

[Vermont Green]

I have a hard time keeping the Celtics Cap situation straight, much less looking at other teams.  But OKC currently has 15 contracts for 2026-27 and 2 first round picks.  They have 3 current contracts that are team option for 2026/27, Hartenstein, Dort, Kendrich Williams (total about $54M).  It seems to me that they need to decline all 3 of these which would put them just under the tax with only 12 contracts.  They would then round out the roster with rookies and/or vet min contracts, probably putting them above the tax but below the first apron.  I don't believe that OKC would be a tax repeater for a few seasons, so they may not mind paying the tax, or even exceeding the first apron.

[Moranis]

I have a hard time keeping the Celtics Cap situation straight, much less looking at other teams.  But OKC currently has 15 contracts for 2026-27 and 2 first round picks.  They have 3 current contracts that are team option for 2026/27, Hartenstein, Dort, Kendrich Williams (total about $54M).  It seems to me that they need to decline all 3 of these which would put them just under the tax with only 12 contracts.  They would then round out the roster with rookies and/or vet min contracts, probably putting them above the tax but below the first apron.  I don't believe that OKC would be a tax repeater for a few seasons, so they may not mind paying the tax, or even exceeding the first apron.

i actually think they will use some of the future draft picks and upgrade bench spots while dropping salary.  They have a lot of midterm salary players so they can get some quality. 

Like they could get Kuzma and Turner from the Bucks for Joe, Dort, Wiggins, Jy Williams, K Williams plus a draft pick if needed and save like 10 million salary. 

Wallace, SGA, J Wiliiams, Kuzma, Turner with Caruso, Hartenstein, McCain, Mitchell, Topic, plus 12. 

They could move Hartenstein or Caruso in that scenario as well and shave more salary as well. 

[Birdman]

I would not be surprise if Porzingis comes back

[Quetzalcoatl]

White and picks for Hartenstein & Ajay Mitchell.  Lol they would never do that though but they gotta clear cap

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Lots of smoke around Brown and the Hawks and Blazers.

This makes sense, because those are the two teams that own most of the Bucks picks or swap rights.

If you were the Bucks, would you rather have:

Blazers trade package: Grant, Sharpe, Scoot, '28 and 30' swap rights back, picks/young players from Boston

or

Hawks trade package: Kuminga, Risachar, Kispert, '26 and '27 swap rights back, picks/young players from Boston

If I'm the Bucks, I probably prefer the Hawks, because I get my picks this year and next year back, plus some other good young players.

I also would love getting Scoot and Sharpe to build around, but that would mean less picks in the near future while I'm trying to rebuild. If I had offers on the table for Turner, Kuzma, or Portis that would net me first round picks this year and next year, I think I'd do the Blazers offer.

I don't think Johnson, NAW, or Avdija are available in either trade package.

[Moranis]

I'd be fine with Brown and 2 of 27, 2027 1st, Hugo for Giannis.  Might even do all 3 and add Walsh if I had to.  It Brown ends up somewhere else so be it, but thst trade would keep Milwaukee competitive when they dont own their own picks.  If they could move Brown to Atlanta or Portland and get their picks back, even better for them. 

[slamtheking]

I'd be fine with Brown and 2 of 27, 2027 1st, Hugo for Giannis.  Might even do all 3 and add Walsh if I had to.  It Brown ends up somewhere else so be it, but thst trade would keep Milwaukee competitive when they dont own their own picks.  If they could move Brown to Atlanta or Portland and get their picks back, even better for them.

you've always undervalued Jaylen and that's too much to give up for an older player with health issues.  Giannis is the better player when healthy but there's a question of whether he needs the ball in his hands so much that it has a negative impact on Tatum's game.  Add in the fact Giannis is up for a very pricing extension, that's another item of concern.

one for one deal, maybe I'd do it and cross my fingers Giannis stays healthy and doesn't muck up team chemistry and bite the bullet on his next contract but it's not something I'd be pushing to do.

[Surferdad]

I would not be surprise if Porzingis comes back

I actually hope Brad can get him on a good contract. Hopefully he has his illness under control.

[Silas]

This should be fun discussing....
Joe Mazzulla named 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year

[Phantom255x]

Don't really like where these Giannis and Jaylen 3-teamer rumors seem to be headed

Even Stein is reporting it and his track history on this stuff has been amazing the past year 

[Celtics4ever]

I would not be surprise if Porzingis comes back

They think he has POTS.  Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. It triggers a rapid, abnormal increase in heart rate (by 30+ beats per minute in adults) and dizziness or fainting upon standing, which improves when lying down.

https://www.nba.com/news/the-athletic-with-kristaps-porzingis-mystery-illness-solved-hawks-are-primed-for-nba-hunt


I would not touch him with a ten pole given that fact.  We need dependable additions, not guys with suspect health.  That being said, I hope he does well and has a safe end of his career.

[Vermont Green]

Back to digging into the tax and aprons.  I have been assuming all along that the Celtics would for sure stay under the tax for 2026-27.  But I wonder if that is true.  The repeater tax penalties are killer if you have a high tax bill, but that are not as bad if you have a low tax bill.  There is $8M between the tax and the first apron.  The first tax bracket is 3X for the first $6M.  So if you are $6M over the tax, the penalty is $18M.  That is not money that any team wants to pay, but it does not break the bank for most teams.

Here is my premise.  BOS is currently at about $190M for 2026-27 if you include $2.3M for a first round pick (that would be 15 roster spots).  That leaves $11M to the tax line ($201M) and $19M to the first apron ($209M).  Now assume they cut Banton and Shugla, and then sell off Hauser.  That gets to about $174M with 12 roster spots leaving $27M to the tax line and $35M to the first apron.  So say BOS is willing to spend $30M to fill roster spots 13 and 14 with a guard and a big.  Further say that Vucevic would sign for $10M, that would leave $20M to sign a starting guard.

Starting Guard
White
Brown
Tatum
Queta

Pritchard
Hauser
Vucevic
and so on...

[Roy H.]

Back to digging into the tax and aprons.  I have been assuming all along that the Celtics would for sure stay under the tax for 2026-27.  But I wonder if that is true.  The repeater tax penalties are killer if you have a high tax bill, but that are not as bad if you have a low tax bill.

The issue is that this is the last year we'll presumably be able to dodge the tax without losing current players.  Going forward there will be extensions, etc.

In the next 2 to 4 years, we presumably *will* be paying those high-end tax bills.  Reducing them as much as possible is in the team's best interest. 

Brad should be able to put together a quality team and still stay under the tax, particularly if he trades Hauser and/or our #1.

[Vermont Green]

Back to digging into the tax and aprons.  I have been assuming all along that the Celtics would for sure stay under the tax for 2026-27.  But I wonder if that is true.  The repeater tax penalties are killer if you have a high tax bill, but that are not as bad if you have a low tax bill.

The issue is that this is the last year we'll presumably be able to dodge the tax without losing current players.  Going forward there will be extensions, etc.

In the next 2 to 4 years, we presumably *will* be paying those high-end tax bills.  Reducing them as much as possible is in the team's best interest. 

Brad should be able to put together a quality team and still stay under the tax, particularly if he trades Hauser and/or our #1.

Won't the tax line continue to increase by 8% to 10% per year?  So $201M in 2026-27, $219M in 2027-28, $239M in 2028-29, and so on.  The aprons go up accordingly as well.  I don't see why BOS wouldn't be able to live between the tax in the first apron going forward, even with contract extensions.  And even if you do get out of the repeater, it would only last for 2 seasons and you would be right back in it by the 3rd season.

They may well be able to pull it off and stay under the tax and not have it make that much difference to the quality of the roster.