The Boston Celtics` 2025 NBA playoff run ended against the New York Knicks, but their season – and potentially a significant chapter in franchise history – effectively concluded when Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tear in Game 4. Boston was already facing a challenging 2025 offseason. Their estimated payroll for the upcoming year, potentially exceeding $493 million including luxury taxes even before considering re-signing veterans like Al Horford or Luke Kornet, would have been difficult to manage even for defending champions. However, following an unexpected early exit and anticipating Tatum`s likely absence for the entire 2025-26 season, the financial situation is now unsustainable. Significant changes are inevitable for the Celtics roster next year.
The extent of these changes remains the key question. Will they be minor adjustments or a complete dismantling? A middle ground seems most likely. Simply shedding smaller contracts like Sam Hauser`s will not suffice. While it`s improbable they would consider trading Jayson Tatum for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo, or actively solicit offers for Jaylen Brown, movement among core players is expected. This isn`t solely about immediate cost savings; it`s about restructuring the team, both on the court and financially, to ensure the Celtics can be a sustainable contender upon Tatum`s eventual return.
So, what paths could they take? The following trade concepts represent potential starting points. These moves could occur independently or in combination. They wouldn`t constitute a total overhaul of the Celtics, but they offer potential strategies to steer Boston toward a healthier position, likely navigating a transitional year. Even if these moves result in a weaker team next season, they align with the long-term objective of building sustainable success for Tatum`s comeback.
Proposed Trade 1: Kristaps Porziņģis to Atlanta Hawks
- Celtics Receive: Terance Mann, Georges Niang, No. 22 Overall Pick
- Hawks Receive: Kristaps Porziņģis
This potential deal offers two benefits for Boston but comes with a notable downside. Acquiring a first-round pick in a solid draft class is a clear positive. Additionally, it provides significant financial relief. Mann and Niang`s combined salaries are roughly $7 million less than Porziņģis`s next season. Accounting for luxury tax implications, the total savings could amount to tens of millions of dollars. The main drawback lies in Mann having three years remaining on his contract. If he doesn`t establish himself as a consistent rotation piece, Boston could be taking on an unfavorable long-term commitment.
From Atlanta`s perspective, this trade addresses their needs differently. While they aren`t under the same immediate pressure for 2025-26 savings as Boston, shedding some future salary becomes beneficial with new contracts anticipated for Trae Young and Dyson Daniels. Given they already hold Sacramento`s No. 13 pick and have a youthful roster, parting with the No. 22 pick is a manageable sacrifice.
The on-court fit is intriguing for the Hawks. While Porziņģis isn`t highly mobile, his extensive catch radius makes him an excellent target for Trae Young`s lobs. Crucially, his shooting significantly helps counteract the spacing challenges presented by Atlanta`s key forwards. Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher are all inconsistent shooters, which can constrict the paint and hinder their driving game. Onyeka Okongwu`s development as a shooter is a positive step, and adding another big man who can shoot would further alleviate this issue. Porziņģis and Okongwu could effectively split minutes at center, and potentially even share the floor in certain lineups.
This return doesn`t fully reflect Porziņģis`s talent level, but his ongoing medical concerns severely limit his trade value. In this context, he`s viewed almost as much for his expiring contract status as for his on-court production. Perhaps his name recognition could help motivate Trae Young towards re-signing before his 2026 free agency, and he *could* contribute positively when healthy, but his reliability issues prevent him from commanding a significant return.
Proposed Trade 2: Jrue Holiday to Orlando Magic
- Celtics Receive: Wendell Carter Jr., Jusuf Nurkić
- Magic Receive: Jrue Holiday
- Hornets Receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, No. 28 Overall Pick, No. 46 Overall Pick
Similar to Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday`s trade value has decreased somewhat over the past year. Beyond a perceived dip in offensive production, the approximately $97 million owed over the next three years is a significant concern for teams mindful of salary cap restrictions. Despite remaining an excellent defender and valuable teammate, the market for him might be smaller than anticipated.
The Orlando Magic are reportedly seeking guard help this offseason. While often linked to offensive players such as Anfernee Simons, an alternative approach would be to further strengthen their defensive identity. Picture the challenge of scoring against a backcourt featuring both Jrue Holiday and Jalen Suggs – a formidable defensive duo. Holiday`s shooting alone would benefit their offense, although he doesn`t provide the primary playmaking they might desire. Still, the Magic could pursue this strategy for a few years and potentially trade him again once less salary remains on his deal. The cost in draft capital here isn`t excessive, leaving them with their future picks for subsequent moves.
Boston requires reinforcement at the center position. If Kristaps Porziņģis isn`t traded this offseason, he`s likely to depart as a free agent in 2026. Al Horford is also approaching retirement. What about acquiring a younger big man often compared to Horford? While Wendell Carter Jr. hasn`t matched Horford`s production for Boston, he offers a similar style as a mobile center capable of shooting. Crucially, his contract is team-friendly. He`ll earn less than $11 million next season, followed by around $60 million over the subsequent three years. This represents excellent value for a starting center on a team expected to pay supermax salaries to Tatum and Brown, and his style aligns well with Boston`s preferred five-out offensive system.
Would Orlando be willing to part with Carter? That likely depends on their confidence in Mo Wagner fully recovering from his torn ACL. They also have Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac providing frontcourt depth, suggesting they are reasonably deep there, though Isaac`s injury history makes him unlikely to consistently play starter-level minutes. The Magic would probably need to acquire another center to help cover minutes until Wagner is fully healthy. This is feasible, and even if the Magic take on Holiday`s potentially daunting contract, shedding Caldwell-Pope`s deal might be appealing, particularly given Caldwell-Pope`s recent season.
So, why doesn`t Kentavious Caldwell-Pope simply go to Boston in the deal? There are a few reasons. The Celtics naturally prefer to avoid taking on that specific contract, but the primary complication is financial. Caldwell-Pope and Carter Jr.`s combined salaries exceed Holiday`s by $71,500 next season. In a two-for-one trade scenario, this would trigger a hard cap at the first apron for Boston because they are receiving more salary than they are sending out. While they could include another player`s contract, aggregating salaries would hard cap them at the more restrictive second apron. While this might not deter them entirely, playing it cautiously and avoiding hard caps altogether seems prudent without knowing Boston`s other potential offseason plans.
This is where Charlotte enters the picture. They could swap Jusuf Nurkić`s expiring contract for Caldwell-Pope`s two-year deal. The Hornets receive two draft picks for facilitating the trade, and adding a respected veteran presence wouldn`t hurt their young roster. Last season, their top seven players in terms of minutes were all 26 or younger. While older players exist on the team, few had significant roles. Caldwell-Pope could easily fit in as a reliable 3-and-D wing who can provide leadership and demonstrate winning habits to the younger core.
Proposed Trade 3: Derrick White to Dallas Mavericks
- Celtics Receive: P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Dwight Powell, 2029 First-Round Pick (via Lakers), 2032 First-Round Pick
- Mavericks Receive: Derrick White
Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday represent apparent trade candidates. Their high costs, combined with age and injury histories, make them less likely to be key pieces of the Celtics` next championship-contending roster built around Jayson Tatum. Boston could potentially trade both, make minor roster adjustments, and still attempt to compete with a core of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White. Given the tendency for organizational inertia in the NBA, this scenario might be the most probable.
However, there are compelling arguments for exploring a Derrick White trade. Firstly, he will be 32 by the start of the 2026-27 season. He is older than his playing style might suggest, and Boston could benefit from getting younger in that spot. Furthermore, he is one of the rare role players who seamlessly fits into virtually any team`s scheme. This adaptability is precisely why a player like Mikal Bridges commanded five first-round picks in a trade. High-quality 3-and-D wings who can also initiate offense are extremely valuable. The Celtics could potentially acquire a substantial package for him, which they could then utilize to build the roster for their next championship window.
Giving Payton Pritchard maximum on-ball opportunities next season is crucial for Boston. He is incredibly cost-effective, with approximately $23 million owed over the next three seasons, and he just earned Sixth Man of the Year honors. The Celtics need to assess whether he can serve as their starting point guard before Jayson Tatum returns. If he proves capable, having a starter at that salary provides immense roster flexibility. Trading the current starting point guard makes this evaluation significantly easier. And if he doesn`t succeed in the starting role? Well, Boston improves its own draft positioning for next season, and Pritchard can simply revert to his successful bench role.
If Boston were to make Derrick White available, he would generate interest across the league, particularly from older teams aiming to contend (like the Lakers, Warriors, and Clippers). However, consider the specific situation of the Dallas Mavericks. Their frontcourt is becoming crowded, especially with Cooper Flagg joining. They currently lack reliable ball-handling while Kyrie Irving recovers from his torn ACL. Reports suggest they plan to acquire a point guard, but questions remain about how easily a high-usage guard would integrate once Irving is healthy. Furthermore, would such a player align with General Manager Nico Harrison`s stated “defense wins championships” philosophy?
Derrick White ticks all these boxes. He can manage point guard duties while Irving is sidelined and transition to a shooting guard role upon Irving`s return. He is an elite defender. Crucially, the Mavericks just experienced his value firsthand in the Finals where they lost to the Celtics, making them acutely aware of his impact on a playoff run. If Dallas remains fully dedicated to maximizing their championship window with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, White might be the ideal guard acquisition to complement them.
Would advising the Mavericks to pursue this strategy align with long-term planning? Probably not. They already lack control over their first-round picks between 2027 and 2030. Their future asset pool will be considerably limited as Cooper Flagg enters his prime and Doncic and Irving potentially decline with age. General Manager Nico Harrison reportedly faced significant criticism for *past moves* (likely referring to trades or roster construction). If his future decisions were to somehow jeopardize Dallas`s future involving Flagg, he could be remembered as one of the most criticized executives in sports history.
However, Harrison has consistently indicated his focus is on immediate success, not future planning. He understands that if he doesn`t win a championship soon, he likely won`t be in his position to oversee Flagg`s development anyway. While this short-sighted approach may not serve the franchise best in the long run, it aligns with expected behavior. A potential starting lineup of Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Derrick White, Cooper Flagg, and Dereck Lively II could be formidable in the playoffs, and the team would still possess reasonable depth behind that core.
For the Celtics, this trade yields two unprotected first-round picks that can be used as assets in future deals. In P.J. Washington, they acquire a wing four years White`s junior who projects to fit well alongside Tatum and Brown. He also provides valuable insurance: if Jaylen Brown`s supermax contract ever becomes problematic and a trade is considered, Washington could potentially step in as another starting-caliber forward. Caleb Martin is a familiar face from the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, and Dwight Powell`s inclusion primarily serves to balance salaries.
While a Derrick White trade might be considered less probable than others, virtually any significant roster change should be open for consideration this summer. Trading him shouldn`t be done impulsively just for the sake of making a move, but if a truly substantial package is offered, there are numerous justifications for executing such a deal.
Jasper Hawthorne