Celtics lost more than just a series to the Knicks; they lost some hope for the future, too.
Instead of raising Banner No. 19 the Celtics are faced with razing their team. Instead of confetti raining down on them to signal the end of their season it feels like the sky is falling. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens brought back everyone except Oshae Brissett from 2023-24 NBA champions. That will not be the case in 2025.
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That total all-in payroll cost would be the largest in NBA history. It already would've been a tough bill to swallow
So, there is an opportunity cost to not cashing in on this opportunity to win another title.
Kristaps Porziņgis (right) is due $30.7 million in the final year of his contract.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
'We set a goal out. At the end of the day, we didn't achieve that goal,' said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. 'But it shouldn't take away from the mind-set and the effort that the players put in. … I thought they gave it everything they had throughout the season.
'Obviously, we didn't achieve that, but you can't take away from what they did. This is the price you pay for trying to go after something.'
The Celtics are about to pay the price for success by having to sell off pieces to avoid being above the prohibitive second apron, set at $207.8 million for next season. With Tatum and Jaylen Brown on supermax contracts, the Celtics, who were above the second apron this season, already sport approximately $230 million in salary commitments for 2025. That's well above the base luxury tax line of $187 million.
Center Kristaps Porziņgis, severely limited this postseason by a persistent and mysterious respiratory illness, and venerable guard Jrue Holiday figure to be on the chopping block.
Porziņģis is due $30.7 million in the final year of his contract. Holiday will earn $32.4 million in the second year of the four-year $135 million extension he signed last spring.
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Despite being annihilated by the Knicks, the true grim reaper for the Green is the NBA collective bargaining agreement, which penalizes franchises such as the Celtics who assemble All-Star-laden rosters and invest heavily in winning championships.
It's a shame the league and its owners want to disband dynasties and punish the pursuit of greatness.
The Parquet Postmortem examination will show the cause of premature death for this dynasty interrupted will be the NBA CBA with Tatum's injury as a contributing factor.
The Boston Basketball epoch that brought Banner 18 demanded more than getting obliterated in front of the glitterati at MSG in a no-contest that was over at halftime with the Celtics trailing by 27.
It was worthy of a proper send off, a Viking funeral. Instead, it got an embarrassing coda reminiscent of the famous quote from former Knick Michael Ray Richardson — 'The ship be sinking,' — the third-largest playoff margin of defeat in Celtics history. Ugh.
Perhaps, this was the basketball gods expressing their ire, humbling the Celtics for worshipping the false idol of unabashed 3-pointers and for perverting the game with the intentional fouling free-throw-phobic Knicks center Mitchell Robinson.
The consequences of the loss stared the Celtics players and coaches in the face as unflinchingly as a Knicks team that rallied from three double-digit, second-half deficits in the series and put six players in double figures in the clincher. It likely was the last time this group of ring-bearers would be together.
'Our group, we had a bunch of great days together. Just, we didn't win in the end,' said Brown.
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The hope is that Game 6 wasn't a preview of coming attractions next season if the Celtics execute
But he fouled out with 2 minutes and 50 seconds left in a disastrous third quarter, finishing with 20 points but the same number of fouls (six) as his individual numbers of rebounds and assists, as well as seven of Boston's 15 turnovers.
The Tandem is the dual-powered engine of the Celtics success. But Brown projects to be a solo act for much of, if not all of, next season while Tatum recuperates.
Brown expressed the end of this era is merely hitting the pause button on chasing championships, not exiting out of the picture.
'I know Boston, it looks gloomy now with JT being out and us kind of ending the year,' said Brown. 'But it's a lot to look forward to, and I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end. I'm looking forward to what's next.'
But what's next isn't as promising as what just passed.
It's all right to mourn, Celtics fans. You lost more than just a series Friday night.
Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
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The Danny Ainge System: Ranking every NBA shot-caller from worst to first (No. 1 is a shocker!)
We have reached the finale of The Danny Ainge System, our ranking of every NBA executive. We have already separately ranked every executive according to his history in the trade, draft and free-agency markets. It is probably best to catch up on those analyses before we dive into today's edition ... Part 1: Trade History Part 2: Draft History Part 3: Free Agency Using baseball's Sabermetrics, we categorized every trade, every draft pick and every free-agency signing as a strikeout, walk, single, double, triple or home run, creating a rating (or OPS) of each executive. If you want to get a feel for exactly how this works, go back and read Parts 1, 2 and 3. It will all make sense then. Here, we combined those scores to create an overall ranking of every NBA executive. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] A final reminder: Newcomers Jeff Peterson (Charlotte Hornets), Trajan Langdon (Detroit Pistons), Ben Tenzer (Denver Nuggets), Onsi Saleh (Atlanta Hawks), Scott Perry (Sacramento Kings), Brian Gregory (Phoenix Suns) and Bobby Webster (Toronto Raptors) do not have sample sizes big enough to evaluate. And again: If you take issue with a particular executive's ranking, go back through his history and tell me which decision was more of a walk than a strikeout or a triple instead of a double. If we agree, we'll adjust the System. But you can't just change the System because you didn't like the way a ranking turned out. Let us cease with the preamble and get to the actual rankings ... 23. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Trades: .500 OBP • .000 SLG • .500 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .600 SLG • 1.100 OPS Free agents: .625 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.292 OPS TOTALS: .545 OBP • .467 SLG • 1.017 OPS It should come as no surprise that Karnišovas' Bulls rank dead last. The once-proud franchise has been a mess ever since Michael Jordan left in 1998, save for a short-lived resurgence under Derrick Rose. They have made the playoffs once under Karnišovas, getting gentlemanly swept from the first round in 2022. Other than that, the Bulls have been an annual entrant into the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament, where they regularly have lost, staying stuck in the NBA's dreaded middle for the better part of a decade. 22. Joe Dumars, New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Trades: .542 OBP • .526 SLG • 1.068 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .565 SLG • 1.065 OPS Free agents: .484 OBP • .478 SLG • .962 TOTALS: .506 OBP • .523 SLG • 1.029 OPS Dumars built the 2004 champion Pistons, but his decision-making for another 10 years in Detroit came under heavy criticism, including the choice to select Darko Miličić over Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 draft. That history, apparently, led to his hiring in New Orleans, where he has come under fire once again, trading the Pelicans' unprotected first-round pick in 2026 in exchange for the right to draft Derik Queen. 21. Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks (2017-) Trades: .500 OBP • .636 SLG • 1.136 OPS Draft picks: .286 OBP • .167 SLG • .453 OPS Free agents: .524 OBP • .632 SLG • 1.156 OPS TOTALS: .476 OBP • .556 SLG • 1.032 OPS Likewise, Horst built the 2021 champion Bucks. Ever since, he has struggled to rebuild the roster, as age and injuries took their toll on the title core. 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Whether or not the Lakers should trust Pelinka to construct another contender is a separate question. 19. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Trades: .500 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.167 OPS Draft picks: .500 OBP • .929 SLG • 1.429 OPS Free agents: .250 OBP • .250 SLG • .500 OPS TOTALS: .406 OBP • .645 SLG • 1.051 OPS Imagine what the Magic would look like if they didn't win the lottery in 2022. Same as they always did: Average. Weltman owns that pick, and it was not easy, but Paolo Banchero was the right choice. Weltman has been more productive in recent years, turning what was a 22-win team in 2022 into what should be a 50-win team this season, and it would not be shocking to see him higher on this list in the years to come. 18. Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Trades: .500 OBP • 714 SLG • 1.214 OPS Draft picks: .667 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.667 OPS Free agents: .333 OBP • .375 SLG • .708 OPS TOTALS: .450 OBP • .611 SLG • 1.061 OPS Nico Harrison traded Luka Dončić at the age of 25. Where did you expect him to rank? 17. Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Trades: 1.000 OBP • 2.000 SLG • 3.000 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: .200 OBP • .200 SLG • .400 OPS TOTALS: .600 OBP • .571 SLG • 1.171 OPS Dunleavy has not been on the job long, so his scores are a little bit of an outlier. Any decision this summer could send him skyrocketing up or tumbling down these rankings. He inherited the aging core of a dynasty from former Warriors executive Bob Myers and has done well to keep them in contention. 16. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Trades: .545 OBP • .588 SLG • 1.133 OPS Draft picks: .652 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.708 OPS Free agents: .400 OBP • .400 SLG • .800 OPS TOTALS: .550 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.250 OPS Connelly is a good executive. This is a good score. We should be reminded of that, as we try to determine why such a good executive ranks so low in relation to his peers. Connelly mostly built the 2023 champion Nuggets, and he has guided the Wolves to consecutive Western Conference finals appearances. He also had the grandest home run of anyone on this list, selecting Nikola Jokić with the 41st pick in the 2014 draft. But it only counts as one home run, and in a long career you are bound to amass lots of strikeouts. 15. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Trades: .513 OBP • .750 SLG • 1.263 OPS Draft picks: .682 OBP • .952 SLG • 1.634 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .658 SLG • 1.158 OPS TOTALS: .545 OBP • .758 SLG • 1.303 OPS See: Connelly, Tim. Morey is a good executive. He pulled off the James Harden trade in 2012, swiping an in-his-prime future Hall of Famer from the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a good score — a decision here or there away from the top 10, and there are a lot of smart executives. That list of 10 fills up awfully fast. That decision here or there might also be what has separated Morey from a championship. That is the knock against him. Then again, he has taken a ton of swings, and hit for a ton of power, all while making the right decision more often than not. Anyone should take his record over the course of two decades. 14. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Trades: .600 OBP • .682 SLG • 1.282 OPS Draft picks: .636 OBP • .875 SLG • 1.511 OPS Free agents: .607 OBP • .560 SLG • 1.167 OPS TOTALS: .569 OBP • .735 SLG • 1.304 OPS The process was there, even if the results were not. Marks positioned the Nets — a moribund organization — to recruit Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn in the summer of 2019. He then traded for Harden, creating an instant contender. Its shelf-life also lasted an instant, as they combined for a single playoff series victory. It may have been more if not for injury, controversy and apathy. 13. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Trades: .679 OBP • 1.211 SLG • 1.890 OPS Draft picks: .438 OBP • .774 SLG • 1.212 OPS Free agents: .524 OBP • .790 SLG • 1.314 TOTALS: .537 OBP • .860 SLG • 1.397 OPS Another great executive. This must be where your OPS settles when you've had a long and accomplished career, because who could ask for more from Riley? He drafted Dwyane Wade, traded for Shaquille O'Neal and signed LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Jimmy Butler, delivering three titles and seven NBA Finals appearances. The System is the System, and his score is his score, but who could ask for more. 12. Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Trades: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: 1.000 OBP • .000 SLG • 1.000 OPS TOTALS: .733 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.433 OPS Not a lot of at-bats. But Portland fans have to like the direction of this team. From Cronin's decisions, head coach Chauncey Billups fielded a competitive roster in the second half of last season, and they are positioned to keep that momentum going into this coming season. How the Blazers emerge from this rebuild will ultimately dictate where Cronin deserves to be in these standings, but he has done good work to this point. Let's just hope the decision to trade for Jrue Holiday doesn't come back to bite him. 11. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Trades: .750 OPS • .941 SLG • 1.691 OPS Draft picks: .444 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.444 OPS Free agents: .462 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.045 OPS TOTALS: .595 OBP • .838 SLG • 1.433 OPS Altman took over Cleveland's front office from David Griffin at the tail end of the LeBron James era, and he has stewarded them deftly through a rebuild, constructing a team that won 64 games last season and expects to compete for a championship again this season. The current roster, boasting All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, speaks to Altman's success as a general manager. 10. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Trades: .842 OBP • .923 SLG • 1.765 OPS Draft picks: .333 OBP • .625 SLG • .958 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • .786 SLG • 1.386 OPS TOTALS: .651 OBP • .800 SLG • 1.451 OPS See: Marks, Sean. It is hard to fault Frank for acquiring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in one summer, even if it cost them Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among other assets. The Clippers were a contender, though they never delivered a championship. Frank put the pieces on the floor. Injuries prevented him from being more successful. He is still trying to patch things together around Leonard, and having some success, building a 50-win team that could be even more dangerous this season. 9. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Trades: .682 OBP • .647 SLG • 1.329 OPS Draft picks: .692 OBP • 1.154 SLG • 1.846 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .625 SLG • 1.125 OPS TOTALS: .651 OBP • .816 SLG • 1.467 OPS It is hard to operate out of Memphis, the NBA's smallest media market. Yet, Kleiman hit a home run with his only top-five pick, selecting Ja Morant, who — when healthy and fully engaged — transforms the Grizzlies into a fringe contender. They have also managed to perform well in Morant's absence, mostly because Kleiman has found a handful of diamonds in the rough who became reliable NBA contributors. 8. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Trades: .900 OBP • 1.357 SLG • 2.257 OPS Draft picks: .476 OBP • .471 SLG • .947 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • .800 SLG • 1.400 OPS TOTALS: .661 OBP • .848 SLG • 1.509 OPS It isn't easy to operate out of Indiana, either. Pritchard is tasked by ownership to field a competitive team every season, and for the most part he has done that, regularly connecting in the draft (Andrew Nembhard), via trade (Pascal Siakam) and even through free agency (T.J. McConnell). His work across every aspect of his job shone through this past season, when the Pacers reached Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Most impressive: Inheriting an unhappy Paul George, who wanted instead to play in Los Angeles, Pritchard managed to turn the face of the franchise into All-Stars Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, and then turned Sabonis into Tyrese Haliburton. Pritchard is perpetually spinning forward a challenger. 7. Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Trades: .800 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.467 OPS Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS Free agents: .500 OBP • .500 SLG • 1.000 OBP TOTALS: .824 OBP • .700 SLG • 1.524 OPS A bit of a surprise so high in the standings. Then again, Winger hasn't had to make many decisions, but the ones he has made have helped the Washington Wizards climb out of a hell of a hole. Washington was saddled with Bradley Beal's contract and had no path to relevancy. Winger did well to get out of that business, all the while stockpiling young assets, draft picks and salary cap space. The Wizards are well-positioned to make some noise in the coming years, all thanks to the quick and smart work of Winger. 6. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Trades: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 (OPS) Draft picks: .700 OBP • 1.222 SLG • 1.922 OPS Free agents: .625 OBP • .714 SLG • 1.339 OPS TOTALS: .667 OBP • .857 SLG • 1.524 OPS Stone inherited the tail end of the James Harden era in Houston. The Rockets had already begun to dismantle a contender, and they were going nowhere fast. In a few short years, which included a string of top-five picks, including Amen Thompson, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., Stone built a 50-win roster. Now, he has taken the biggest swing of his career, trading Green in a package for Kevin Durant, who will mean the difference between whether or not Stone's work produces a championship in the short-term. 5. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Trades: .643 OBP • .846 SLG • 1.489 OPS Draft picks: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS Free agents: .600 OBP • 1.111 SLG • 1.711 OPS TOTALS: .636 OBP • .893 SLG • 1.529 OPS The Knicks were a doormat. They were who everybody walks over in order to get into contention. They are run by an inept owner who has served as an impediment to the success of his team's top shot-callers. Yet, Rose has navigated that difficult road better anyone else in New York this century, turning a 21-win team into a playoff mainstay. The roster that reached the Eastern Conference finals this past season was built almost entirely by Rose, mostly through trades and free agency, and they expect to contend again. 4. Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Trades: .800 OBP • 1.286 SLG • 2.086 OPS Draft picks: .333 OBP • .000 SLG • .333 OPS Free agents: .727 OBP • .571 SLG • 1.298 OPS TOTALS: .724 OBP • .813 SLG • 1.537 OPS Stevens coached the Celtics under Ainge to three Eastern Conference finals in four years. He took over the front office for a team that was about to lose two of its best players to free agency. The Celtics still boasted Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Stevens was tasked with taking them to the next level. That he did. Stevens reacquired Al Horford and traded for Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday, all of whom helped Tatum and Brown capture the 2024 NBA championship. Stevens was looking at a couple of whiffs this summer, having to dump the contracts of Porziņģis and Holiday, and he did OK to get out relatively unscathed. Now, he is tasked with reconfiguring a contender for the 2026-27 season. 3. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Trades: .660 OBP • .737 SLG • 1.397 OPS Draft picks: .514 OBP • 1.033 SLG • 1.547 OPS Free agents: .417 OBP • .583 SLG • 1.000 OPS TOTALS: .620 OBP • .920 SLG • 1.540 I think we're all surprised that Presti wasn't No. 1 on these rankings. He has built two separate powerhouses in small-market Oklahoma City, the latest of which won the 2025 NBA championship. The Thunder — with a ton of young talent, a perfectly constructed roster and enough draft picks to restock the cupboard — are as capable of becoming a dynasty as any other champion since Golden State. Over a long career, though, you are bound to strike out. A lot. Still, to hit this consistently well, with this much power, for this long, is a wonder. A reminder: Four MVPs — four (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) have come through Oklahoma City due to Presti's brilliance. 2. Danny Ainge, Celtics (2003-21) • Jazz (2021-) Trades: .787 OBP • 1.125 SLG • 1.912 Draft picks: .674 OBP • .1.147 SLG • 1.821 OPS Free agents: .471 OBP • .517 SLG • .988 OPS TOTALS: .661 OBP • .947 SLG • 1.608 OPS In Boston, Ainge built the 2008 NBA champions, trading for both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in a single summer. He also drafted Tatum and Brown, the foundation of the 2024 NBA champions. In between, Ainge constructed a roster that regularly repped the Eastern Conference finals. He forged a powerhouse. In Utah, Ainge will have a harder time building in a small market. Much of his work hangs in the balance, as we await a determination for a number of his draft picks, including this year's selections, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton. The Jazz are positioned to improve over the next few years. How much they actually do will depend on how well Ainge performed in the draft. If history tells us anything, Utah will be fine. 1. Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Trades: .818 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.818 OPS Draft picks: .636 OBP • .1.250 SLG • 1.886 OPS Free agents: .800 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.467 OPS TOTALS: .741 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.797 OPS A shocker at No. 1! Nobody figured Wright, who has been on the job for a few years, to be this high on the list. Some of that has to do with a generous stroke of luck, as his Spurs won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in 2023, but a lot of it has to do with what he's done to build around a 7-foot-5 Frenchman. What roster, other than the Thunder, would you prefer to have over the next 10 years? The Spurs feature an All-Star point guard (De'Aaron Fox), an All-Star center (Wembanyama), a ton of young talent, some veteran depth and a cache of draft picks that could help make one final move. Trust Wright to make it.
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Sixers guard Jared McCain goes No. 3 overall in 2024 NBA re-draft
The Philadelphia 76ers got themselves a steal in the 2024 NBA draft when they landed Duke guard Jared McCain with the No. 16 overall pick. The 6-foot-3 guard was showing off his full arsenal as he was in the running for Rookie of the Year before suffering a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. In 23 games as a rookie, McCain was terrific averaging 15.3 points and shooting 38.3% from deep. He had scoring games of 34 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 29 against the Orlando Magic, and back-to-back 20-plus point games against the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies. He was impressive as a first-year player. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic put together a re-draft of 2024 with McCain being selected No. 3 overall by the Houston Rockets: McCain only got to do it for about a month while the 76ers were dealing with injuries, but no player flashed more upside as an offensive weapon last season than him. From Nov. 8 until Dec. 4, he averaged 21.7 points, three rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 85 percent from the line in 13 games. And these were games at the beginning of the season when teams were still highly competitive, as opposed to some of the late-season runs we saw after a large portion of teams were out of contention. We know he will likely develop into one of the NBA's truly elite shooters, with pristine mechanics and superb touch. However, his ability to create and attack for himself stood out and gave him what looks to be serious upside long term. As the Sixers prepare for the 2025-26 season, the focus will be on getting everybody healthy and on the floor together. As long as Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey are on the floor, then they will certainly have a chance. The health of McCain will be a factor for Philadelphia as well due to his offensive ability.
