What are the Boston Celtics' options for addressing their cap crunch?

USA Today

28-05-2025

What are the Boston Celtics' options for addressing their cap crunch?
What are the Boston Celtics' options for addressing their cap crunch ahead of a season that will see star forward Jayson Tatum out injured for much if not all of the campaign? The Third Apron cap guru Yossi Gozlan recently broke down the range of options available to the Celtics in a recent episode of his Substack newsletter, focusing not only on the labyrinthine financial concerns Boston's front office will need to consider moving forward, but also the fact that the team is looking to contend as long as they have Tatum on the roster (save, of course, for next season).
Fans of the team might not want to hear it, but there is at least a case to be made for a full teardown of the roster -- including Taco Jay -- given the harsh realities of the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the repeater tax penalties and second apron team building restrictions.
But as Gozlan notes, it is not the only path, nor may it be the more likely path for the Celtics to take as they look to add to their league-leading title collection.
So is Tatum safe for now?
For one thing, Tatum is injured, which makes his trade value understandably depressed, and perhaps below what any acceptable return could net given what he might be able to put on the court once healthy. It would also be an ask on the other side of the deal, given most other teams who would be in the market for a player like Tatum would need to have a situation where a gap year would not be an obstacle for their goals as well.
"Tatum is unlikely to be traded even if another team trades a haul of veterans, established young players, and draft picks while he's injured," suggested The Third Apron analyst, and we concur.
What about Jaylen Brown?
Trading away Brown and getting a return for the Georgia native at least close to what he can provide -- even considering his knee injury -- would be a hard needle to thread, but not impossible if a team were willing to overpay in more than one sense given the size of Brown's 35% max deal.
While the Cal alum might be earning close to what he would get on a truly open market, the league's financial rules make having a player like him on your roster a challenge to balance with having enough depth -- as Boston knows well at the moment.
"If the Celtics wanted to capitalize on him, now would be a good time to get value from a team linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo but strikes out on him," writes Gozlan. " ... They'll certainly listen to offers for him, but they seem likely to keep him."
And Derrick White?
Similar to Brown, replacing his value for what would come back would be a hard move to pull off, but also not out of the question, and with a cheaper deal, a bit less far-fetched if also unlikely. "They'll need him, especially if they trade Jrue Holiday, like many around the league anticipate," suggests Gozlan.
So who does that leave who might be on the move besides Holiday? Check out the rest of this latest edition of The Third Apron to find out.