Infinity2152 wrote:Gant wrote:Infinity2152 wrote:Celtics are on a 3 game win streak and are 6 games behind Cavs who are on a 3 game losing streak. Meaning the gap was 12 only three games ago, so this assumption Celtics will make the Finals is pretty big. Not to mention, there's a huge monetary difference between making the Finals and winning a championship in terms of how the team will profit. Is it worth an extra $100-$150 mill to be the number 2 seed, vs the number 4? They don't look to be better next year if they bring all players back, they'll be even older.
Cavs and Knicks both look to be at least as good, if not better next year than they are this year. Next year:
Cavs core: Darius Garland (26), Donovan Mitchell (29), Deandre Hunter (27), Evan Mobley (24), Jarrett Allen (27)
Knicks core: Jalen Brunson (29), OG Anunoby (28), Josh Hart (31), Mikal Bridges (28), KAT (29), Mitchell Robinson (27)
Celtics core: Jrue Holiday (36), Derrick White (31), Jaylen Brown (29), Jayson Tatum (28), Porzingas (31)
Very dependent on Porzingas health. Last three years he played 57, 65, 51 games and he'll be older with more wear and tear now. He's played 34 of a possible 59 games this season. They still have Horford, so they can survive for now.
Celtics have the worst bench of the three and will have the least room to add
You're aging a couple of players a little bit. Holiday will be 35 next season, Porzingis will be 30.
This season the Celtics bench has a net rating of +12.3, by far the best in the league. Cavs bench is 3rd at +2.8. Knick bench 11th at -3.7.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-bench-scoring-team-net-ratings-2025
There will be a ton of pressure to trade off someone. IMO, the most likely candidates to be moved are Hauser, then maybe Holiday due to age. Porzingis is a possibility too, but he's impossible to replicate.
Axios says the value of the team from this sale is really 7.3 billion, as Chisolm is buying only the Grousbeck's controlling portion.
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/boston-celtics-record-sale
Everyone following the Celtics was hoping for Steve Pagliuca, one of the current minority owners, to win the bid.
Chisolm has said the right things so far though. We'll see. He reportedly is buying a house in Boston to attend as many games as he can. That's a good sign, because he can't submarine the team and sit comfortably watching a game in the Boston Garden.
It was also reported that Chisolm really is a huge lifelong Celtics fan, and has an "encyclopedic knowledge" of the team's history.
Chisolm:
You're right, checked the dates. Jrue turns 36 next June. Porzingas 31 next August. My bad.
Bench is solid with Horford. If they can bring Horford back, he can last, and Porzingas is healthy, they should be very good.
Hauser does sound like the best trade candidate actually. He's $10 mill next year, who even knows how much money in actual savings that would be.
I'm no good at this tax stuff, but someone wrote that Hauser's 10 million would cost the Celtics $90 million (insert as many exclamation marks as necessary). Other players cost more.
