What is sure to be a busy summer for the Celtics kicked off in a big way with Monday's trade of Jrue Holiday to Portland
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Simons will make $27.7 million next season in the final year of a four-year, $100 million contract. Holiday, 35, inked a four-year, $135 million extension with the Celtics in April 2024 and will make $32.4 million next season.
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In the short term, the Celtics inched about $4.7 million closer to dipping below the second apron — they remain about $18 million above — and they are projected to save about $40 million in luxury-tax payments next year.
But they also freed up long-term money, with Simons on an expiring deal and Holiday under contract for three more seasons.
A league source stressed late Monday night that the Celtics acquired Simons because they believe he can bolster the roster, but the source added that the team will 'remain engaged on all fronts' in the coming days and weeks. So, there is certainly a chance the Celtics will soon flip Simons in another cost-cutting move.
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Pairing the 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound Simons in the backcourt with, say, Payton Pritchard could leave the Celtics vulnerable. But Simons is nine years younger than Holiday and would help refresh what was becoming a rapidly aging core.
Regardless of whether Simons is in Boston's long-term plans, other notable moves figure to follow in the coming days.
Center Kristaps Porzingis, who will make $30.7 million on an expiring contract next season, is a trade candidate. He was an essential piece of the Celtics' title team, but his inability to stay healthy was glaring over the past two seasons, most recently when the effects of a March respiratory illness limited him severely over this season's final three months.
On Tuesday, Porzingis shared a brief health update on Instagram. He thanked supporters and added, 'I've been feeling excellent all offseason and looking forward to a healthy and strong European championship tournament with [the Latvian national team].'
Porzingis's expiring contract and his ability to help a team looking to make a title push should make him an attractive option to potential suitors.
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Although league-wide free agency talks will open next Monday night, teams are currently able to negotiate with their free agents. The Celtics will have discussions with veteran big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet, who are both unrestricted.
Horford, 39,
Like Holiday, Horford's numbers dipped this past season, but he remained a valuable contributor and will likely command at least the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception on the open market.
Kornet, 29, just finished the best season of his career and his sparkling advanced stats have piqued the interest of teams looking for frontcourt upgrades. The Celtics own Kornet's 'Bird Rights,' which would allow them to re-sign Kornet without restriction, but their financial realities will have to be factored in, too.
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The Celtics also have the 28th and 32nd picks in this week's draft, which begins with Wednesday's first round. A league source said more than 50 prospects have visited the Auerbach Center for workouts in recent weeks. When the team drafted Baylor Scheierman in the first round last year, it was obvious that he was unlikely to crack the regular rotation. But as Stevens reconstructs the roster this summer, this year's picks could find openings.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at
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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
NBA trade grades: How can Kristaps Porziņģis help Hawks' offense? Do Nets have new plan?
The big trades preceding draft night continue rolling in, and the Boston Celtics continue to shed payroll to get under the collective bargaining agreement's dreaded second-apron threshold. They agreed to trade Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal involving the Brooklyn Nets, less than a day after agreeing to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. In the Porziņģis deal, Georges Niang and a second-round pick will head to Boston, and Brooklyn will receive Terance Mann and Atlanta's No. 22 selection in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday. ESPN was first to report the deal. Advertisement This is another big Celtics trade during their mini-sabbatical from ring-chasing as Jayson Tatum heals from his Achilles injury. Let's bust out the red ink and throw grades on this big three-team deal: This is a very interesting and opportunistic move by a new Hawks front office. Porziņģis is on a $30 million expiring deal next season, meaning this could potentially be a rental for the Hawks. It's a great risk for a team that has been stuck in the mud of the East standings since their 2021 Eastern Conference finals appearance. The Hawks have been extremely disappointing for various reasons, as they've swapped out coaches and players around Trae Young since that postseason run. If Porziņģis is able to be relatively healthy for the Hawks this season, he provides a great running mate for Young. As good as some of the players alongside Young have been, Porziņģis would probably be the best he's had. He can stretch the floor as a career 36.6 percent 3-point shooter, and that number rose to 39.2 percent in his two seasons with the Celtics. He's a pretty special shooter at his size, and he's capable of being a great option going to the basket with pick-and-roll opportunities. For a passer like Young, that provides a phenomenal target. It allows the Hawks to feel pretty easy about moving on from 31-year-old Clint Capela, and it moves Onyeka Okongwu back to his more natural position of playing the 4. And, when adding a healthy Jalen Johnson into the mix, you have a great three-headed big-man rotation. The issue, though, is Porziņģis misses a lot of time. He hasn't played in 72 games since his rookie campaign. Over the last four seasons, he's missed 40, 25, 17 and 31 games, respectively. He's had injuries throughout his career, so the Hawks must be careful about how they utilize him and manage his physicality. The Hawks also have to make sure they can re-sign him. They aren't giving up too much for him, but you don't want this to be a rental. Advertisement As the Eastern Conference becomes more wide open, the key for Atlanta to reshape its roster is maintaining a $25 million trade exception it can use to be very aggressive in adding talent. The Hawks should be proactive in going for something big under head coach Quin Snyder next season. The East has opened up in a way they couldn't have anticipated even two months ago. This is the time to figure out what they have here, once and for all. Grade: A The Celtics needed to shed more salary to get under the aforementioned second apron, and this should do it and then some. The question now is whether they feel they need to save even more money. That probably doesn't mean sending out recently acquired players like Niang or Anfernee Simons (from the Holiday trade), but would they feel the need to part with Sam Hauser via salary dump if it means they can easily keep Al Horford and/or Luke Kornet? The latter players become even more imperative now that Porziņģis is officially off the books. Niang is a nice addition because his 3-point shooting fits perfectly in their offense. He can really let it fly and flirts with being a 40 percent 3-point shooter for his career. Finding him in the corner or on the wings will have high upside for a good result. The key for Niang, who enters a contract year during an era where elite shooting is quite invaluable, will be fitting into the team defense. Boston's next step is making sure its frontcourt has enough size to remain relatively competitive. Grade: B- I love this opportunistic approach by the Nets. They didn't really give up anything of value in this deal, and they ended up with a solid rotation wing and a fifth first-round pick in this year's draft. Take that, Sam Presti! I can't imagine the Nets are going to utilize all five of those picks because that would just be ridiculous. Developing five such players at once is asking a lot. But the Nets are in a position to package those picks to either move up or add selections for teams that need cost-effective depth on rookie deals. Brooklyn is doing what proper rebuilding teams often do, which is stockpiling draft assets by using its cap space to acquire contracts. And then, we'll see what happens with those resources. Grade: A+ ( Photo: David Butler / USA Today Network via Imagn Images )
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Celtics trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis is just the beginning. What's Boston's next move?
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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Porzingis going to Hawks in a 3-team trade agreement, AP source says
Kristaps Porzingis is being traded by the Boston Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, and part of what will be a three-team deal gives the Brooklyn Nets another selection in Wednesday's first round of the NBA draft, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. Porzingis is going to the Hawks, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick will be acquired by Boston, and Brooklyn will wind up with Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick that is held by Atlanta in Wednesday's draft, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade isn't expected to be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6. ESPN first reported the trade, which was later confirmed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move is the second major one by Boston of the week, after the team agreed to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland. The combination of those moves still has Boston past the tax line for next season but out from under the second apron, which gives the Celtics — who will be without Jayson Tatum for, at minimum, a significant portion of next season because of an Achilles tear — more flexibility moving forward. Getting under the second apron is important; that threshold, once exceeded, limits ways that teams can trade for or sign players. Porzingis — who, like Holiday, was part of the team that helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title — will make $30.7 million next season on an expiring contract. He was slowed by illness at times in the second half of this past season, as well as in Boston's playoff run this spring. But he intends to play for Latvia at EuroBasket this summer, a good sign. 'Thanks for all the support and questions about my health,' Porzingis posted on social media this week. 'I've been feeling excellent all offseason and look forward to a healthy and strong European championship tournament." The Nets now technically have five picks in Wednesday's first round. They own the Nos. 8, 19, 26 and 27 selections already, and the Hawks will essentially be picking for the Nets now at No. 22, as well. ___
