Here’s What the Celtics Have Been Up To

Matthew Willar

News Editor

Following a disappointing end to their 2024-2025 season, the Boston Celtics made some major changes to their roster this summer. After losing to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and Jayson Tatum suffering a torn Achilles tendon, the 2024 NBA Champions are going into this season with a slew of new faces.

After Tatum suffered his injury, it was reported that he would likely miss the entirety of the 2025-2026 NBA season. Without Tatum, the team decided to still compete while also saving financial capital.

Boston needed to get rid of $20 million in salary to get below the second apron for this upcoming season, according to Boston.com. General Manager Brad Stevens chose to make a number of trades to do this for a team that was already going into a season without their star player.

On June 24, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that the team was trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team deal. The deal saw the Celtics acquiring Georges Niang and a second-round pick, with the Brooklyn Nets acquiring Terrence Mann and the draft rights to Drake Powell, who was the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft from Atlanta.

Despite frequent injuries, Porzingis was an integral part of the Celtics winning their 18th banner in 2024. Last season, however, he suffered from an unknown illness, resulting in him only playing in 42 games. According to ESPN, trading Porzingis brought the Celtics under the second apron threshold and saved them $150 million in tax payments.

On July 7, the team traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. The trade saved them approximately $40 million in tax savings, according to ESPN. Despite Holiday’s immense contributions to the team and their 2024 Championship run, the team had little to no flexibility in keeping his salary on their roster.

The same day, Luke Kornet left the team in free agency to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. The trade saw the team losing one of its backup centers. A four-year, $41 million contract, the Celtics were unable to afford the salary that Kornet was looking for.

The Celtics were able to sign several players to short-term contracts to fill the void left by Porzingis, Holiday, and Kornet. They signed center Chris Boucher to a one-year deal, Luka Garza to a two-year deal, and Josh Minott to a two-year deal.

The NBA season kicks off on Oct. 21, with the Celtics playing their first game on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Their preseason begins on Oct. 8 against the Memphis Grizzlies.