Early Thoughts: You & Bill Chisholm are figuring out who you're keeping, 2025-26, to fit under the 2nd Apron?

[Parliament10]

You and Bill Chisholm are sitting at home, trying to figure who you're going to Trade or not-Renew, to fit under the 2nd Apron.
I'd say that it's got to be Holiday, for no one back?

This is for the Top of the Roster. Obviously Tatum Stays.
There are 10 Options; but only 7 Choices.

I'm not a Capologist, so you gotta figure out that part by yourselves.
Happy Hunting!!!

[brackdan70]

Bill hasn’t called yet, but I am here to help

[KamikazeK]

Jrue goes first imo. Unless there are some details I'm not privvy to that make someone else a better option.

[SuperDeluxe]

Jrue goes first imo.

I think it'll depend on the Celtics winning the championship this year or not. If they win, I can see Brad running it back (but maybe unloading some TBD contracts mid-season). If they don't, then I can see Brown gone first, but only in a mega-blockbuster trade for a disgruntled star.

[31to6]

If I’m Bill Chisholm I decide to become a true legend by just paying it all for the duration of these contracts. And I extend Al and Luke too.

If that’s not the Bill Chisholm I am, then I’ve already gotten a sense from my team about what we can get for Jaylen. I probably don’t EVER leak that, and choose to go the Jrue-and-a-pick-or-two-for-nothing route, but I’m sure they’ve got the scenarios.

[playa-hater]

Jrue's age and contract makes him an obvious candidate. But truth be told I'd like to see what we can get for Brown in return. Especially if we do not win it all.

[ConstableGeneva]

I'm not going into next season without JT, White, KP, Hauser, PP, Kornet, and Horford. That's my essential 7. (Then find a way to keep Craig at the minimum. Obvy retain our future face of the franchise, Baylor Scheierman.)

[Jammer]

This are some flaws in your list.

Horford, if he comes back, will be for minimum ($3,634,153 but only $2,296,274 for Lux Tax Purposes). He shouldn't count as 1 of the 7. Don't see him moving his family for a modest increase over $3,634,153.

Queta is already under contract for $2.34M. Shouldn't be in the list, of course you keep Queta for that price.

I voted:
Holiday
White
Zinger
Pritch
Hauser
Kornet

Tatum is obvious. Kornet is an unknown. Brown is the guy I move. For luxury tax purposes, here is what the salary list looks like:

$54,126,380 Tatum
$32,400,000 Holiday
$30,731,707 Zinger
$28,100,000 White
$10,044,644 Hauser
$7,232,143 Pritch
$2,783,880 #28 Pick (i.e. Guard)
$2,619,000 Scheierman
$2,349,578 Queta
$2,296,274 Al Horford (Actual Salary will be $3,634,153)
$1,272,880 #32 Pick (i.e. Stretch PF)

That's 11 Players (including two draft picks) totaling $173,956,486.

That leaves $207,825,000 (estimate for 2nd Apron) - $173,956,486 = $33,868,514 to re-sign Kornet and probably take 2 players back for their trade of a Big Piece (JB is my suggestion).

Celtics could be expected to try to trade Jaylen Brown for a lot less salary back and some picks. They would also be expected to trade Jordan Walsh ($200k guarantee) and move Xavier Tillman, while re-signing Luke Kornet. The real key will be if they could move Brown's $54 Million salary while not taking a lot of salary back but getting a playable SF. AND I'D luv to keep Torrey Craig around if at all possible.

[redslastlaugh]

It’s hard to assume what Luke and Horford will require to stay. Horford is 39 but has left once before to take more money. So it’s hard to just assume the hassle of moving or the desire to stay a Celtic means he would play for the minimum. I just don’t know.

The same with Luke. Reports are he turned down $8 million for this yr from the Jazz. Now he has had his best season, would he turn down another big offer? I just don’t know.

obviously, if Al and Luke will take minimums you can run the team back just by trading one of Jrue or Kristaps in a 3-team deal where Brooklyn takes a contract from another team. There were reports Toronto wasn’t happy with RJ Barrett, so I suggested perhaps Jrue to Toronto, RJ Barrett to Brooklyn, Ja’Kobe Walter to Boston with perhaps a pick or two to grease the skids.

But again, I just don’t know what it’s going to take to resign Kornet plus Horford…

[Dangit]

If we come up short... I probably move Jaylen Brown... Tatum, Pritchard White and KP are the guys I want long term....

[djFan71]

I'm not going into next season without JT, White, KP, Hauser, PP, Kornet, and Horford. That's my essential 7. (Then find a way to keep Craig at the minimum. Obvy retain our future face of the franchise, Baylor Scheierman.)

Not shockingly, I have the same picks. I can see a world where it’s just Hauser that’s gone for next year to save SOME money. Delays the inevitable but gives the shot at the three peat. I’d rather trust Brad to get a great return for the guys not listed this summer though. Even after the repeat.

[ThePigeon]

Jrue goes first imo. Unless there are some details I'm not privvy to that make someone else a better option.

Jrue Holiday's scoring has a notable impact on the Boston Celtics' success. As of April 8, 2025, the Celtics hold a remarkable 54–3 record when Holiday scores 14 or more points, equating to a 94.7% win rate.

I think that management will look somewhere else, unless they want to go the Denver way

[ConstableGeneva]

I'm not going into next season without JT, White, KP, Hauser, PP, Kornet, and Horford. That's my essential 7. (Then find a way to keep Craig at the minimum. Obvy retain our future face of the franchise, Baylor Scheierman.)

Not shockingly, I have the same picks. I can see a world where it’s just Hauser that’s gone for next year to save SOME money. Delays the inevitable but gives the shot at the three peat. I’d rather trust Brad to get a great return for the guys not listed this summer though. Even after the repeat.

I know the OP's premise for this exercise is the Cs have to go under the 2nd apron but I'd just rip off the band-aid, go under the tax right away, and stay under the tax for two seasons to reset the repeater. It just depends on who we get back for Brown/Holiday but I believe we can still be contenders with who's left. Brown will get the most value back among our high-salaried players not named Tatum and since he's making the most among the non-Tatums, trading him would be the easiest path to get under the tax. By the time we need to pay ridiculous tax again, hopefully the Celtics have their own arena while Tatum will still be in his early 30s.

[Jammer]

Holiday is worth MUCH MORE than his stats. Watch his picks and movement on offense, and realize he sets up a lot of the Celtics beautiful assists without even making the pass. Holiday is essential to the team's overall success. He makes the Celtics more than the sum of their parts.

[chrisab123]

Jrue goes first imo.

I think it'll depend on the Celtics winning the championship this year or not. If they win, I can see Brad running it back (but maybe unloading some TBD contracts mid-season). If they don't, then I can see Brown gone first, but only in a mega-blockbuster trade for a disgruntled star.

This. If they win again then I’d assume they’ll run it back which will make some of the fan base disgruntled, but most of us that want to see a dynasty happy. If they don’t then I’d assume Hauser is gone and probably Kornet. I really do not think they trade Jrue or KP, in fact I think it’s more likely they extend KP than trade him.

[brackdan70]

I love Brown but am starting to wonder a Red Auerbach type trade that gets an upside pick or two isn’t the smart thing.
I feel dirty even mentioning it…like a blasphemer.
Not sure what the market for him would be, especially if he struggles through these mysterious injuries for the playoffs.
Jrue is the obvious answer but he also looks fantastic right now. I think he will be solid for at least next season.

[Parasite]

Pleasantly surprised to see a lot of “move Brown” takes as that is what I would do as well. Never been a fan of his game and I think we should get a decent haul for him. We could get a star coming back, but I also wouldn’t mind a nice draft haul instead to help us transition for the future.

[phincsfan]

I love Brown but am starting to wonder a Red Auerbach type trade that gets an upside pick or two isn’t the smart thing.
I feel dirty even mentioning it…like a blasphemer.
Not sure what the market for him would be, especially if he struggles through these mysterious injuries for the playoffs.
Jrue is the obvious answer but he also looks fantastic right now. I think he will be solid for at least next season.

It's a mystery to us, but I bet he has a partial tear in the meniscus. You can play through that, it's painfully annoying, but I give him a ton of credit for trying to figure out how to make his body get through the pain tolerance.

[31to6]

Two summers ago I was saying trade Jaylen for Siakam, because then neither would be supermax eligible, so you'd be paying something like $40M per instead of $60. Felt like there should be a collaborative league-wide effort to try to duck supermaxes for guys who aren't 1st team All NBAers.

Had that happened, we quite possibly are still chasing Banner 18, so I'm not mad about how it worked out.

Trading him now, I doubt you get Jalen Johnson from ATL (5 years at $30M each). I could talk myself into Okongwu (3 years at about $16.5M per), especially if they include Dyson Daniels:) (not happening, I know). BRK with -- ehh -- Cam Johnson and Nick Claxton I don't like nearly as much. MEM for Bane I do without even thinking about (save $20M per for the next 4 seasons). POR -- eh -- take Ayton for the last year of his contract ($35M) and as many picks as they'll send? But now I'm out of ideas I'm particularly interested in.

Other than that last one, I don't even know if you're adding picks or asking for them in these scenarios. Brad does. This is going to have to be an In Brad We Trust situation -- hopefully Bill Chisholm feels similarly!

[165bows]

Two summers ago I was saying trade Jaylen for Siakam, because then neither would be supermax eligible, so you'd be paying something like $40M per instead of $60. Felt like there should be a collaborative league-wide effort to try to duck supermaxes for guys who aren't 1st team All NBAers.

Had that happened, we quite possibly are still chasing Banner 18, so I'm not mad about how it worked out.

Trading him now, I doubt you get Jalen Johnson from ATL (5 years at $30M each). I could talk myself into Okongwu (3 years at about $16.5M per), especially if they include Dyson Daniels:) (not happening, I know). BRK with -- ehh -- Cam Johnson and Nick Claxton I don't like nearly as much. MEM for Bane I do without even thinking about (save $20M per for the next 4 seasons). POR -- eh -- take Ayton for the last year of his contract ($35M) and as many picks as they'll send? But now I'm out of ideas I'm particularly interested in.

Other than that last one, I don't even know if you're adding picks or asking for them in these scenarios. Brad does. This is going to have to be an In Brad We Trust situation -- hopefully Bill Chisholm feels similarly!

If they trade JB I feel like the move is Brown, KP and Pritchard for Jokic.