Report: Boston Celtics approaching offseason trades from position of strength, patience
Report: Boston Celtics approaching offseason trades from position of strength, patience
The Boston Celtics are widely seen by NBA analysts as one of the teams most likely to make aggressive moves to trim salary this offseason. Early reports hinted that opposing ball clubs expected it to cost them assets to get off the significant contracts of the players most often cited as likely to be moved -- namely vet guard Jrue Holiday and Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis.
But recent rumbles from reputable sources have hinted that might not be the case, and new reporting from The Stein Line's Jake Fischer has underscored that this belief has "begun to fade," with Boston "said to be conducting their mid-June business with confidence that they can make deals that bring positive value back". Per Fischer, the Celtics aren't "operating to date like a team desperate to shed salary," hinting at plans for several trades over time between now and the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
Instead, something like dealing away Porzingis and then making more moves midseason might be the model, per The Stein Line reporter, with the Celtics "believed to be open to listening to any player on its roster not named Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown." He also speculates Payton Pritchard and Derrick White are nearly in that category as well.
With Pritchard seen as likely to carry a major part of Boston's offense next season and White "so essential to Boston on both sides of the floor that it sounds as though the Celtics would need their version of the offer that blew away Brooklyn and forced the Nets to part with Mikal Bridges to entertain surrendering him," we are starting to get a firmer outline of what the team's plans to get cheaper will look like.
The question now starts to shift to which clubs are they trying to work with to accomplish them -- and whether they will be able to pull it off.
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