Free Agent, Trade, Buyout, Extension & Conversion Thread, 2025 con't

[Larry_Russell]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

[Fierce1]

Super boring, but effective:

Jrue for Rozier and a 2nd or 2.
Hauser to a TPE and a couple seconds.

That sets you up for 26-27 without hemorrhaging assets to duck anything in 25-26. But saves a ton of real money with $14M ish in salary , plus the taxes on top. Team is still competitive, but has some Pt carved out for young guys. Flip, buyout or sit Terry unless he bounces back.

KP if you can get value and savings back without sending out assets, great. Otherwise keep him and resign him cheap next summer or let him expire.

Edit: Rozier could be any bad expiring that is less than Jrue. The Nurk/Okogie or other options all work - as long as we’re not sending out assets. I think upgrading from Terry to Jrue is something mia would pay a small cost for.

But the Cs need to get under the aprons in 2025-26, not 2027.

Rozier will be getting 26.6m next season.
Doesn't really help financially.

Cs will be a repeater if they don't go under the apron in 2025-26.

Getting under the apron in 25/26 is pretty unrealistic. It’s possible of course. I think they will look to reduce the tax bill and I think the more important thing is duck the tax in 26-27to reset the repeater. Then they will of course be under the Apron and stay there for a couple years and reset any basketball related penalties.

189m is under the apron.

Cs payroll next season is 224m.

Getting to 189m is very doable.

[winsomme2]

This article was a few weeks ago:

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/03/24/celtics-grousbeck-no-nba-team-will-stay-in-second-apron-more-than-two-years/


Changes are coming this summer. We're getting under the 2nd apron. Especially with Tatum sidelined for next season - it makes even less since to have a crazy high payroll..

We’re only in 1 year of the penalties he’s referring to,2 years overall. They eased things in.

I’m not saying we won’t try to duck the apron. I’m saying we don’t absolutely have to and aren’t going to fire sale to do it. If we can do it in a way that keeps our picks and gets younger, cheaper guys, the of course we will.

But, I don’t see the doomsday / send out all our picks to drop Jrue and KP just so….. we don’t get a pick frozen in 7 years??? That doesn’t make sense.

Maybe for some of the penalties we're only in year 1. But there's a reason why we made the KP and Jrue trades when we did. Both of those trades were ones where we aggregated smaller salaries together to acquire 1 larger salary player. We got both of them done right *before* the 23-24 season. That I believe was the cutoff. Those trades put us over the 2nd apron. Meaning that at least for some of the penalties (like not being able to aggregate salaries together that you're sending out in a trade) the first season where we were hit with those penalties was the 23-24 season.

We have not made a single trade since Jrue where we aggregated salaries together. So that was 2 seasons now where we were over 2nd apron and could not aggregate salaries in a trade - 23-24 and 24-25.

It's also now been 2 seasons where we weren't able to sign a buyout player who was making more than the MLE - another penalty for 2nd apron teams. So it has been 2 years now for some of the penalties.

Wyc says no one will stay over 2nd apron for more than 2 years and that we'll find out what Brad decides in June/July.

Brad also hinted that changes were coming in June..at his presser last week when he said he'll address offseason plans at the draft presser, which is in June.

There are so many different versions of what trimming payroll could look like. For instance, we could trade DWhite fairly easily and actually get something in return. Or we could trade KP and/or Jrue but have to also attach draft assets to make it happen. Hauser and PP probably would be fairly easy to move as well.

The question for me is does Brad see any long term value in us being a lottery team next year. At the moment, I would favor this because a mediocre season is so unpleasant and could actually lead to serious wear and tear on Jaylen having to carry the load for an entire season.

I guess I could be swayed if the real timeline for JTs recovery is much shorter and he could return for a playoff run next year but burning through JB next season without adding any real assets feels like a bad idea...

Does it make any sense to let KP start the season with us to show that he has recovered from the post viral syndrome so we don't have to lose draft assets just to move his contract? Can we still get the tax relief if we trade him during the season?

[Gant]

We’re only in 1 year of the penalties he’s referring to,2 years overall. They eased things in.

I’m not saying we won’t try to duck the apron. I’m saying we don’t absolutely have to and aren’t going to fire sale to do it. If we can do it in a way that keeps our picks and gets younger, cheaper guys, the of course we will.

But, I don’t see the doomsday / send out all our picks to drop Jrue and KP just so….. we don’t get a pick frozen in 7 years??? That doesn’t make sense.

Maybe for some of the penalties we're only in year 1. But there's a reason why we made the KP and Jrue trades when we did. Both of those trades were ones where we aggregated smaller salaries together to acquire 1 larger salary player. We got both of them done right *before* the 23-24 season. That I believe was the cutoff. Those trades put us over the 2nd apron. Meaning that at least for some of the penalties (like not being able to aggregate salaries together that you're sending out in a trade) the first season where we were hit with those penalties was the 23-24 season.

We have not made a single trade since Jrue where we aggregated salaries together. So that was 2 seasons now where we were over 2nd apron and could not aggregate salaries in a trade - 23-24 and 24-25.

It's also now been 2 seasons where we weren't able to sign a buyout player who was making more than the MLE - another penalty for 2nd apron teams. So it has been 2 years now for some of the penalties.

Wyc says no one will stay over 2nd apron for more than 2 years and that we'll find out what Brad decides in June/July.

Brad also hinted that changes were coming in June..at his presser last week when he said he'll address offseason plans at the draft presser, which is in June.

There are so many different versions of what trimming payroll could look like. For instance, we could trade DWhite fairly easily and actually get something in return. Or we could trade KP and/or Jrue but have to also attach draft assets to make it happen. Hauser and PP probably would be fairly easy to move as well.

The question for me is does Brad see any long term value in us being a lottery team next year. At the moment, I would favor this because a mediocre season is so unpleasant and could actually lead to serious wear and tear on Jaylen having to carry the load for an entire season.

I guess I could be swayed if the real timeline for JTs recovery is much shorter and he could return for a playoff run next year but burning through JB next season without adding any real assets feels like a bad idea...

Does it make any sense to let KP start the season with us to show that he has recovered from the post viral syndrome so we don't have to lose draft assets just to move his contract? Can we still get the tax relief if we trade him during the season?

There's a possibility that Jaylen Brown and the Celtics will try to avoid meniscus surgery, but then later find out it does need to be done. Depending on the timing and severity, that could mean no Brown for some of next season, on top of no Tatum for maybe all of it.

Then you're looking at the 1997 Spurs, who after being really strong, ducked into the lottery for just one season by sitting out their star David Robinson. The ping pongs cooperated, and they ended up getting Tim Duncan.

[phincsfan]

A couple of draft day trades but in this order:

C's, Bulls, Heat, Clips

C's get Vucevic, Dunn, Batum

Bulls get Herro

Heat get Bogdanovic, Carter (little side note, Heat favorite Dragic once called Bogdanovic the NBA's most underrated Euro player)

Clips get Jrue #28

Bulls 25/26 starting 5 - Collins-Williams-Buzelis-Herro-White

Heat 25/26 starting 5 - Ware-Bam-Wiggins-Bogdanovic-Mitchell

Clips 25/26 starting 5 - Zubac-Kawhi-Powell-Jrue-Harden

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C's, Nets, Pistons, Grizz

C's get Aldama, Simone, Whitehead

Nets get Morant future 1st's from Pistons

Pistons get Cam Johnson, Clowney

Grizz get Porzingis, Stewart, Keon Johnson, #8

Pistons 25/26 starting 5 - Duren-Harris-Cam-Ausar-Cade

Grizz 25/26 starting 5 - Edey-KP-JJJ-Bane-Pippen Jr

----------------------------------------

Trade Tillman and payroll is down to 207mil for 25/26 season

The payroll in 26/27 minus Jrue is down to 164mil. Dunn and Whiteheads contracts are team options so turn them down. Sign Aldama to a contract to fill the PF/C spot for the next few years. IMO, he's a safer bet then the 28th pick.


C's roster for 25/26


Vucevic-Aldama-JB-White-Pritchard
Neems-Batum-Sam-Rico-Dunn
Whitehead-Fontecchio-Peterson-Norris

2way the 32nd pick

Go into 26/27 season with JT-JB-White-Sam-PP-Aldama-Rico-Neems-Peterson and they still have all their picks for the 26' draft.

[Fierce1]

When PP and Sam are starters, that means you're not a championship team.

[phincsfan]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams back in february. Would they take a chance on Porzingis.

[Fierce1]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams back in february. Would they take a chance on Porzingis.

Don't help the Lakers.

[phincsfan]

When PP and Sam are starters, that means you're not a championship team.

Where are Sam and Pritchard listed as starters?

[Fierce1]

When PP and Sam are starters, that means you're not a championship team.

Where are Sam and Pritchard listed as starters?

Who starts in 2026-27?

[phincsfan]

JT-JB-White-Pritchard-Aldama

Sam, Rico, Neems and I would draft Broome this draft

[phincsfan]

The luxury cap would probably be 207mil for the 26/27 season.

Sign Aldama to 4yr80mil deal (I have no idea what it could be, just picked a round number. It could be 4yrs 60mil)

JT-JB-White-Pritchard-Aldama-Sam-Rico-Neems-Broome-26 1st rd pick - 26/27 payroll is around 196mil

11mil left over for 3 positions to stay under the luxury tax.

[Larry_Russell]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams back in february. Would they take a chance on Porzingis.

Cause they have to. And no one is going to just gift them a center as there are few available. And also, KP is a super high skilled center.

[yeleven11]

Wonder if we get any clarity from this meeting this week

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=1DUrtVaZb5FFEnWzTWCGLg

[phincsfan]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams back in february. Would they take a chance on Porzingis.

Cause they have to. And no one is going to just gift them a center as there are few available. And also, KP is a super high skilled center.

131mil for 3 players and one only plays 40-50 games a season. I hear you that they have to but there are other expiring centers available like Vucevic or Ayton.

[djFan71]

This article was a few weeks ago:

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/03/24/celtics-grousbeck-no-nba-team-will-stay-in-second-apron-more-than-two-years/


Changes are coming this summer. We're getting under the 2nd apron. Especially with Tatum sidelined for next season - it makes even less since to have a crazy high payroll..

We’re only in 1 year of the penalties he’s referring to,2 years overall. They eased things in.

I’m not saying we won’t try to duck the apron. I’m saying we don’t absolutely have to and aren’t going to fire sale to do it. If we can do it in a way that keeps our picks and gets younger, cheaper guys, the of course we will.

But, I don’t see the doomsday / send out all our picks to drop Jrue and KP just so….. we don’t get a pick frozen in 7 years??? That doesn’t make sense.

Maybe for some of the penalties we're only in year 1. But there's a reason why we made the KP and Jrue trades when we did. Both of those trades were ones where we aggregated smaller salaries together to acquire 1 larger salary player. We got both of them done right *before* the 23-24 season. That I believe was the cutoff. Those trades put us over the 2nd apron. Meaning that at least for some of the penalties (like not being able to aggregate salaries together that you're sending out in a trade) the first season where we were hit with those penalties was the 23-24 season.

We have not made a single trade since Jrue where we aggregated salaries together. So that was 2 seasons now where we were over 2nd apron and could not aggregate salaries in a trade - 23-24 and 24-25.

It's also now been 2 seasons where we weren't able to sign a buyout player who was making more than the MLE - another penalty for 2nd apron teams. So it has been 2 years now for some of the penalties.

Wyc says no one will stay over 2nd apron for more than 2 years and that we'll find out what Brad decides in June/July.

Brad also hinted that changes were coming in June..at his presser last week when he said he'll address offseason plans at the draft presser, which is in June.

I don’t think any of what you said disagrees with my position. Of course changes are coming, and I’ve proposed many. All I’m saying it’s not “get under the second apron at all costs.” I don’t think we throw picks out the window for purely salary dumps.

Getting under the apron and /or resetting the repeater tax are worthy goals. So is having a good team for JT to come back too. I’m guessing Brad straddles that line artfully. We’ll probably reduce costs this summer but ay or may not remain above the 2nd apron. But we definitely do it in a way to set us up to get under it next summer while retaining our picks and / or getting a good young talent or two back in our salary moves.

Obviously if Brad can reduce costs and get under the apron while not throwing away picks or using picks but getting real value back, he will. I just don’t think ducking the apron is his only goal.

I don’t even see this as controversial,tbh.

[Larry_Russell]

Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams back in february. Would they take a chance on Porzingis.

Cause they have to. And no one is going to just gift them a center as there are few available. And also, KP is a super high skilled center.

131mil for 3 players and one only plays 40-50 games a season. I hear you that they have to but there are other expiring centers available like Vucevic or Ayton.

Ayton loses a team games, and I suppose they could go after vooch, but he doesnt have rim protection...

[brackdan70]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

It would be dope, but KP won’t bring back that kind of value, and Jrue for Eason is going to need some incentive to Houston.

[djFan71]

Super boring, but effective:

Jrue for Rozier and a 2nd or 2.
Hauser to a TPE and a couple seconds.

That sets you up for 26-27 without hemorrhaging assets to duck anything in 25-26. But saves a ton of real money with $14M ish in salary , plus the taxes on top. Team is still competitive, but has some Pt carved out for young guys. Flip, buyout or sit Terry unless he bounces back.

KP if you can get value and savings back without sending out assets, great. Otherwise keep him and resign him cheap next summer or let him expire.

Edit: Rozier could be any bad expiring that is less than Jrue. The Nurk/Okogie or other options all work - as long as we’re not sending out assets. I think upgrading from Terry to Jrue is something mia would pay a small cost for.

Why would Riley do the Celtics such a favor?

Robinson probably picks up his option which would eat into the cap and they have to deal with Mitchell who they probably consider as their Rozier replacement.

Rozier may also have some value at the deadline if he actually plays this upcoming season. The gambling investigation still hangs over his head.

Miami is getting value in that situation. It depends on their plan, but it’s not “doing Celtics a favor”
Miami and Boston don’t trade much though…that’s a fair point.
The trade could be any expiring free agent that makes less than Jrue. Some times will want compensation, some will give.

Agreed. Miami is getting a huge upgrade here and they aren’t a tanking org. They can do other cost moves to offset this like moving SloMo and/or Robinson. I feel like people only see the contract with Jrue anymore. And, yes, that’s absolutely important. But so are championship caliber players.

As for Terry having value at the deadline, that’s pretty wishful thinking imo. He’s the legit bad contract dump, not Jrue. Expiring is the only reason he’s movable at all.

Now that Danny is gone, the barrier to a MIA trade is much lower. Also, Danny himself made a few with them.

[Larry_Russell]

I posted it yesterday, still feel like it is a dope as hell trade....

Kristaps to LAL
Maxi Klebr and a 2nd to Charlotte

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knect and Mark Williams to Celtics



Then trade Jrue to Houston (Houston cuts FVV which saves them tons of money and puts them 25 million below cap) for Tari Eason (saves Boston ~25 million - putting them below 2nd apron)

White/Pritchard/???
Brown/Schierman
Knect/Hauser/Walsh
Hachimura/????/Craig
Williams/Kornet/Queta

Would need to grab a backup PF and depth PG from somewhere (Vet mins maybe?)

It would be dope, but KP won’t bring back that kind of value, and Jrue for Eason is going to need some incentive to Houston.

I think KP does, cause LAL HAS to do a trade like this. Can switch out Hachimura for Vanderbilt for all I care. I feel like Vanderbilt is more important to the lakers for his rebounding and defense.

IMO the prize is Knect.