2025 Offseason Trade and Free Agency Thread (Wow this is fun!)

[chrisab123]

Rumors are Jordan Poole is on the market again. Celtics were interested in him before going with the Porzingis trade. I'm not a Poole guy but I wonder if Brad kicks the tires again.

Poole is not a good basketball player

[chrisab123]

Bro that guy made it sound like the Jrue Holiday value is HIGH. LETS GOOOOO

Jeesh, better than Carter & Keegan and picks??? Dang.

That’s the issue with listening to random posters on this site. They’ll tell you the Celtics are a super team then next instant they’ll turn so fast they’ll whiplash themselves saying every guy they can lay eyes on is a negative value.

They overrate guys like Marcus Smart and underrate Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Jrue and KP. The Boston culture doesn’t want superstars. They want grinders.

[165bows]

Read on Twitter

At 37:30 of this, they report that the Kings checked in on Jrue, but were told that there were better offers on the table

Yeah that’s my first thought re: the Kings, they don’t have anything to offer.

I am not sure I understand this. Don't the kings have quite a few first round picks because of the fox trade? Even if they do not come this season.

I had to look it up. SAC has no first this year but it has an unprotected pick from SAS in 2027 and also the 2031 MIN unprotected pick. I’d say those are decent plus a SAC 2026 pick has value also.

But their roster is imo surprisingly unappealing and I am going to take the opportunity to pat myself on the back for my
repeated posts in 2023 that that team wasn’t that good and looked prepped for the treadmill when they were widely considered hot stuff.

[celtxman]

Celtics reporting from Jake Fischer this morning:

In Boston's case: There was a considerable amount of chatter circulating amongst rival teams during NBA Draft Combine Week in Chicago last month that potential suitors for Kristaps Porziņģis or Jrue Holiday would want some sort of sweetener compensation attached by the Celtics in exchange for their willingness to take back those contracts.

Such mighty talk has begun to fade.

Boston is certainly looking to cut salary to reduce its luxury tax bill and duck under the second apron, but the Celtics are said to be conducting their mid-June business with confidence that they can make deals that bring positive value back to Boston, league sources say.

The Celtics are not operating to date like a team desperate to shed salary. They have also given some rival teams a sense that a sequence of trades could be coming that merely start in the offseason and potentially even continue up to the in-season trade deadline ... such as dealing away Porzingis' $30.7 million contract for a lesser salary in return and then attempting to trim costs again before the February trade buzzer.

That would actually be similar to the chain of events that landed Holiday with the Celtics in the first place, when Portland moved on from players it acquired in the Damian Lillard blockbuster in stages.

Boston is believed to be open to listening to any player on its roster not named Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I'd put Payton Pritchard and Derrick White right behind those two franchise cornerstones as extremely hard-to-get as well.

The Celtics would likely have to listen to any ultra-aggressive offer for this season's Sixth Man of the Year, but Pritchard is currently projected to shoulder a significant role in Boston's offense for the 2025-26 season, with the Celtics hopeful of remaining competitive in the Eastern Conference even while Tatum is on the mend from his devastating Achilles tear. White, meanwhile, has been 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.

This lines up with what I think they should do. Trade Jrue for essentially no salary coming back and hopefully something more in return like picks.

After that trade other teams know they can't hold the 2nd apron over their head. Then on to KP. The offer has to be one that would be as good as if this were a healthy Porzingis at the trade deadline. If not wait.

Getting something from each trade (Jrue/KP ) is good too.

I find it hard to see Hauser back with all of the financial stuff

The only team that can essentially trade with no salary coming back is the Nets, every team over the 2nd apron are going to be calling them.

At some point a team like Detroit will go over the cap. Would they be a team willing to go above the cap but below the aprons by trading expiring contracts to get a Championship proven veteran? Remember how much trouble they already gave the Knicks. Maybe the Celtics take some, but not alot of salary back. If we believe that Sacramento is eliminated because other teams had better offers, then those offers must contain significantly less salary coming back.

[phincsfan]

This lines up with what I think they should do. Trade Jrue for essentially no salary coming back and hopefully something more in return like picks.

After that trade other teams know they can't hold the 2nd apron over their head. Then on to KP. The offer has to be one that would be as good as if this were a healthy Porzingis at the trade deadline. If not wait.

Getting something from each trade (Jrue/KP ) is good too.

I find it hard to see Hauser back with all of the financial stuff

The only team that can essentially trade with no salary coming back is the Nets, every team over the 2nd apron are going to be calling them.

At some point a team like Detroit will go over the cap. Would they be a team willing to go above the cap but below the aprons by trading expiring contracts to get a Championship proven veteran? Remember how much trouble they already gave the Knicks. Maybe the Celtics take some, but not alot of salary back. If we believe that Sacramento is eliminated because other teams had better offers, then those offers must contain significantly less salary coming back.

Unless Detroit makes a splash in free agency, they're pretty far away from the 2nd apron if they play it smart. Cade is locked up till 29' and they have a season or two to see which young player breaks out enough to demand a max contract.

[redslastlaugh]

I'm not a subscriber to Marc Stein substack ... but article today from Jake L Fischer is "LOTS (more) around-the-NBA Intel: The Celtics feature prominently in this notes compilation ... as does a significant update out of Philadelphia"

Read on Twitter

any posters subscribe to Stein and can provide a write up?

[hugepatsfan]

Truth often lies in the middle. Early reports were that BOS would have to attach picks to move salary. Now reports are they don't care about moving salary and will get picks? Middle of that to me is that they'll move salary for no picks attached but none back either. Hope I'm underselling but that's just my belief.

Trade 1: Jrue for Klay
Trade 2: Porzingis for Jared Vanderbilt
Trade 3: Hauser into TPE/MLE somewhere

Obviously 1 and 2 need to be bigger trades but figure that out. Dump money elsewhere. I'm not even saying Porzingis to LAL, just make it work so the end result is you get Vandy back. I think those deals are workable through the million multi team deals we all propose every day. That gets us below the tax for this year and puts us on track to be below the tax in 26-27 as well to reset all repeater penalties.

Play out 2025-26 with that reduced roster while Tatum is out. I know everyone wants better and younger players back but I believe that takes us chipping in additional value. Which is fine, except we're paying that value and essentially wasting one year of what those younger and better players bring since Tatum is out. Save your assets, take back the lesser pieces now, and then next year attack assets to Klay and/or Vandy for those better younger players. You can still avoid the tax that way by trading ~$30M of Klay/Vandy money for $30M worth of younger, better players except now you have that all fully aligned with Tatum/Brown/White/Pritchard and reset your taxes.

[dortmunder]

I think its jrue to sactown, yeah.
2026 or 27 1st round pick and Valanciunas (two years at 10 millions each).
we save a lot of money there.

Then hauser, guess they will ask for two secound rounds.
Tillman, another second round (memphis?)
And porzingis, maybe utah. Clarkson at 14 millions, 1 year remaining. Some filler so we save 10 more millions.

[Gant]

John Karalis:

- Every rumor and everything I’ve heard points to the same exact scenario for Boston this summer: Move Jrue Holiday and maybe Sam Hauser to cut costs. They’ll listen to offers for Kristaps Porzingis and, if one of those makes sense, they’ll do that too, but the preference is to push that to the trade deadline and see how Jayson Tatum’s recovery is going. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard are not off the table, but any offers including one of those guys has to be a no-brainer for Boston.

I’ll say it again: Brad Stevens wants to squeeze every ounce of championship contention out of this roster that he can. We can say on the outside that it’s time to do X, Y, and Z, but Stevens is going to follow a path that gives his team a chance to contend. He owes it to everyone in the organization, and to himself, to go into this season taking as few bullets as possible in order to put the best roster on the floor.

And if Tatum ends up behind schedule or out for the whole year, then they can adjust at the trade deadline. Trust me, using the urgency of the trade deadline to move some of these guys will work out much better for Boston if it comes to that.

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/06/13/picks-n-pops-brads-master-plan-making-finals-feel-special-and-lip-syncing

[Larry_Russell]

Hauser (into TPE) to Orlando for #16 and Caleb Houston
Save 8 million, Orlando stays under 2nd apron and Celtics move up enough to grab Fleming.


Can use 28 or 32 to shed rest of salary from a Jrue trade (Dallas)

[hugepatsfan]

BOS gives: Jrue
BOS gets: Niang, Terence Davis

Why? Save money. This deal preeeeeeeeeety much gets them below the 2nd apron. They'd have Niang and Hauser easily movable for more savings too and Porzingis' deal might not be easy to dump but should be easy to move for marginal savings. This removes the stress of any future deals they make and allows them to deal without as much pressure in follow ups.

SAC gives: DDR, Terence Davis

Why? Right now they have 4 SGs (Lavine, DDR, Monk, Ellis) and no PGs (besides a project in Devin Carter) and no real forwards other than Murray. This starts the roster realigning with turning one of those SGs into a still very good PG. Lavine and Sabonis handle a lot so Jrue's on ball/off ball ability is a good fit, with the defense of course.

ATL gives: Niang
ATL gets: DDR (Murray TPE)

Why? This is the tough one. This board hates DDR's game, but he JUST signed that deal last year and there was competition for it. He's a legit shot creation/ scoring threat, and ATL lacks those outside of Young. I feel like unless you're just morally opposed to DDR's type of game, which to be fair many people are, it's not really a bad contract. So it's kind of a question of if ATL is ok with that style and I feel like they might be. ATL is in healthy tax position for both years of his deal too.

[hugepatsfan]

Hauser (into TPE) to Orlando for #16 and Caleb Houston
Save 8 million, Orlando stays under 2nd apron and Celtics move up enough to grab Fleming.


Can use 28 or 32 to shed rest of salary from a Jrue trade (Dallas)

Hauser isn't worth #16.

[yeleven11]

I'm not a subscriber to Marc Stein substack ... but article today from Jake L Fischer is "LOTS (more) around-the-NBA Intel: The Celtics feature prominently in this notes compilation ... as does a significant update out of Philadelphia"

Read on Twitter

any posters subscribe to Stein and can provide a write up?

I posted it yesterday. Just scroll back some pages

[Larry_Russell]

Hauser (into TPE) to Orlando for #16 and Caleb Houston
Save 8 million, Orlando stays under 2nd apron and Celtics move up enough to grab Fleming.


Can use 28 or 32 to shed rest of salary from a Jrue trade (Dallas)

Hauser isn't worth #16.

Its hauser and 28 or 31 to a team desparate for shooting. Might not be that far fetched.

[BleedGreen1989]

Hauser (into TPE) to Orlando for #16 and Caleb Houston
Save 8 million, Orlando stays under 2nd apron and Celtics move up enough to grab Fleming.


Can use 28 or 32 to shed rest of salary from a Jrue trade (Dallas)

Hauser isn't worth #16.

Its hauser and 28 or 31 to a team desparate for shooting. Might not be that far fetched.

Probably have to include both and maybe Orlando tosses you a future 2nd or something.

Not bad.

[djFan71]

Truth often lies in the middle. Early reports were that BOS would have to attach picks to move salary. Now reports are they don't care about moving salary and will get picks? Middle of that to me is that they'll move salary for no picks attached but none back either. Hope I'm underselling but that's just my belief.

Trade 1: Jrue for Klay
Trade 2: Porzingis for Jared Vanderbilt
Trade 3: Hauser into TPE/MLE somewhere

Obviously 1 and 2 need to be bigger trades but figure that out. Dump money elsewhere. I'm not even saying Porzingis to LAL, just make it work so the end result is you get Vandy back. I think those deals are workable through the million multi team deals we all propose every day. That gets us below the tax for this year and puts us on track to be below the tax in 26-27 as well to reset all repeater penalties.

Play out 2025-26 with that reduced roster while Tatum is out. I know everyone wants better and younger players back but I believe that takes us chipping in additional value. Which is fine, except we're paying that value and essentially wasting one year of what those younger and better players bring since Tatum is out. Save your assets, take back the lesser pieces now, and then next year attack assets to Klay and/or Vandy for those better younger players. You can still avoid the tax that way by trading ~$30M of Klay/Vandy money for $30M worth of younger, better players except now you have that all fully aligned with Tatum/Brown/White/Pritchard and reset your taxes.

I know you're always right on these things, but with numbers I have, that gets super-close on the tax, but not under it and with only 13 players.
I have existing guys (Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Baylor, Queta, Walsh, Tillman, JD) => $154.6M for 9 roster spots.
Klay and Vandy => $28.2M
28 & 32 => $5.3M (120% scale $3,361,536.00 , $1,955,377.00 for 3 year exception)
$188.16M for 13 roster spots.

Lux tax number I've been using is $187.897M. Where are we off?

EDIT - full numbers I'm using in spoiler

Spoiler:

Tatum $54,126,450.00
Brown $53,142,264.00
White $28,100,000.00
Pritchard $7,232,143.00
Scheierman $2,619,000.00
Queta $2,349,578.00
Walsh $2,221,677.00
Tillman $2,546,675.00
JD Davison $2,270,735.00
Klay $16,666,667.00
Jarred Vanderbilt $11,500,000.00
Pick 28 $3,361,536.00
2nd round exc 3yr $1,955,377.00

[celtxman]

Rumors are Jordan Poole is on the market again. Celtics were interested in him before going with the Porzingis trade. I'm not a Poole guy but I wonder if Brad kicks the tires again.

Well the good news is that with Poole you don't have to worry about who is replacing Tatum's shots. Jordan might want a few of Brown's too!

[165bows]

I'm not a subscriber to Marc Stein substack ... but article today from Jake L Fischer is "LOTS (more) around-the-NBA Intel: The Celtics feature prominently in this notes compilation ... as does a significant update out of Philadelphia"

Read on Twitter

any posters subscribe to Stein and can provide a write up?

I posted it yesterday. Just scroll back some pages

This is part two post it up bro

[yeleven11]

I'm not a subscriber to Marc Stein substack ... but article today from Jake L Fischer is "LOTS (more) around-the-NBA Intel: The Celtics feature prominently in this notes compilation ... as does a significant update out of Philadelphia"

Read on Twitter

any posters subscribe to Stein and can provide a write up?

I posted it yesterday. Just scroll back some pages

This is part two post it up bro

It’s the one i posted yesterday lol marc stein is just bumping yesterday’s post

[hugepatsfan]

I posted it yesterday. Just scroll back some pages

This is part two post it up bro

It’s the one i posted yesterday lol marc stein is just bumping yesterday’s post

I thought you posted Jake Fisher