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

[celtxman]

This is complicated. If you say Holiday, you have to realize his contract is almost untradeable in the new Era of the 2nd apron. Maybe a team like Detroit who has lots of cap space, is a young team and wants veteran leadership. But that's even questionable. We all know the great things he can do for winning teams but that market is small if it exists.
To me that leaves Brown. He's from Atlanta. Brown for Jalen Johnson and whatever needs to be done with the trade to get under the cap. EXTREMELY rough math but whatever the numbers look like to resign Kornet and Horford....then it feels like they need $22-23 million less in any Brown trade. BROWN $54 million Johnson $30 million. You need a capologist but something like this. Too early for details. Hauser could be part of any reductions

[phincsfan]

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.

3 guarantees

Death
Taxes
Nuggets not trading Jokic ever

[bfchs123]

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.

3 guarantees

Death
Taxes
Nuggets not trading Jokic ever

If we’re doing a mega trade like that I think Giannis is a more “realistic” target. That is still to say extraordinarily unlikley

Jrue
White
JT
Giannis
Horford

[Jammer]

JB and a Pick for The Flagg (2025 #1).

That's a $39,416,244 salary Reduction (JB's $53,242,164 vs $13,825,920 for the #1 Pick).

[steefP2]

I'll just say that ducking the second apron this summer is both not needed and would be very destructive. It most likely would include not resigning kornet and losing hauser + jrue.

We only need to be under second apron by end of 26-27 and thats really not that hard.
Yes, we'll likely shed *some* salary this summer but it shouldnt be a full 2nd apron ducking, unless we lose vs cleveland or smth like that.

[steefP2]

This is complicated. If you say Holiday, you have to realize his contract is almost untradeable in the new Era of the 2nd apron. Maybe a team like Detroit who has lots of cap space, is a young team and wants veteran leadership. But that's even questionable. We all know the great things he can do for winning teams but that market is small if it exists.
To me that leaves Brown. He's from Atlanta. Brown for Jalen Johnson and whatever needs to be done with the trade to get under the cap. EXTREMELY rough math but whatever the numbers look like to resign Kornet and Horford....then it feels like they need $22-23 million less in any Brown trade. BROWN $54 million Johnson $30 million. You need a capologist but something like this. Too early for details. Hauser could be part of any reductions

trading jaylen for jalen johnson and salary would max save you about 8 mil for it to be legal, 11 mil if you count the extra roster spot saved by getting back 2 players.

[165bows]

I'll just say that ducking the second apron this summer is both not needed and would be very destructive. It most likely would include not resigning kornet and losing hauser + jrue.

We only need to be under second apron by end of 26-27 and thats really not that hard.
Yes, we'll likely shed *some* salary this summer but it shouldnt be a full 2nd apron ducking, unless we lose vs cleveland or smth like that.

That’s my thought, unless they have a plan to get a player as good as Horford as cheap as Horford they need to use that last second apron year next year.

On top of the above, other teams are going to be affected by these penalties as well and have to make tough choices eg Okc once players start getting more expensive.

[Triple M]

We got lucky with moving off Smart at the right time. Im not sure it's possible to project decline due to injuries but this Brown knee injury is concerning to me because he's getting closer to 30. Do ot might make sense to move him depending what's happening with him health wise

[steefP2]

A bone bruise is not a chronic thing. It’s an acute injury that doesn’t need surgery. It isn’t really predictive for further injury.

[31to6]

A bone bruise is not a chronic thing. It’s an acute injury that doesn’t need surgery. It isn’t really predictive for further injury.

He'LL nEvER wALk AgAiN

[Parasite]

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.

I love KP and PP but my goodness I’d break my hand signing off on that deal.

[shi-woo]

Tatum and White are the only safe guys at this point

I think we have a ton of options, and more wiggle room than people expect. We will have our 14 man locked up already at 231 mil with our two draft picks and Al signing for one more year. That means we just need to cut less than 30 mil to get under.

Personally, I would start by seeing if we can coral Brown's supermax deal into a trade for a 2nd contract max player.

Brown for Zion strait up for example, and we help them offload KO to another team to make it happen. Jalen Johnson, Sengun, LaMelo, Franz, an even Sabonis are all dudes I would look to get for Brown. That would wipe 20 mil off the roster, and then all we would need is to trade Hauser into space to get under the 2nd. The team would take a hit, but we'd maintain the roster integrity, replace Browns scoring, and Baylor would take Hausers spot.

KP- Queta
Tatum- Al- SRP
Zion- Baylor
Jrue- FRP
White- PP

The 2nd option is tough. KP is the better player, Jrue has the worse contract, but I just don't like KP's health situation even if he is an amazing game changing player when on the court. Only one type of team would want Jrue at that money, and idk if it' realistic to trade him at this point. I also love the idea of having two incredible guards who play D next to Tatum, so I would look to move KP. Unfortunately, it would need to be into space, so we would have to do a deal that involves a team like BRK with cap space, who could also get a 3rd team in the mix to redirect KP, and get us a rotation piece.

KP to Pacers, Turner to Boston, Toppin to BRK with our 2nd or FRP.
KP to ATL, Onyeka to Bos, Mann and our SRP to BRK

Beef Stew, Poeltl, WCJ are also players i'd be interested in, but would expect a protected pick or non protected to come back.

These are the types of moves I would be looking to make, and the FRP or SRP this year would be on the talbe to make it happen. We then would also need to trade Hauser in this situation into space or for a rookie contract.

Both these types of deals would get us below the 2nd apron. Combined, they would cut us nearly 40 mil in cap and still leave us with an extremely solid team that could compete.

Onyeka- Queta
Tatum- Al
Zion- Baylor
Jrue
White- PP

Pick up a veteran guard, draft BPA with whatever picks we have, and got for banner 20...Celtic's can still do damage even with a full tear down. I trust Brad already has his moves lined up, and knows exactly what he's doing. He wouldn't have pre-emptively given out all those contracts if he did.

[Parliament10]

I'm surprised that more people are choosing Brown as the odd-man-out, over Holiday. Salary is obviously a big concern.
But, Jrue is somewhat older that Jaylen. JB is in his prime.

[Fierce1]

Win back to back titles and people will change their minds about JB.

This era of Celtics championship basketball is about the Jays.

That's their identity, they are "The Jays".

[phincsfan]

I'm surprised that more people are choosing Brown as the odd-man-out, over Holiday. Salary is obviously a big concern.
But, Jrue is somewhat older that Jaylen. JB is in his prime.

During these playoffs they’ll be singing his praises.

[Fierce1]

I'm surprised that more people are choosing Brown as the odd-man-out, over Holiday. Salary is obviously a big concern.
But, Jrue is somewhat older that Jaylen. JB is in his prime.

During these playoffs they’ll be singing his praises.

In Game 3 of the 2024 Finals, Lively cut the Celtics lead to 2 points with 1:20 remaining in the 4th.

19 seconds later, JB made a contested jumper to give the Cs a 4-point cushion with 1:01 left in the 4th.

You could say that jumper by JB killed any chances of the Mavs from making that a competitive Finals series.

[phincsfan]

I'm surprised that more people are choosing Brown as the odd-man-out, over Holiday. Salary is obviously a big concern.
But, Jrue is somewhat older that Jaylen. JB is in his prime.

During these playoffs they’ll be singing his praises.

In Game 3 of the 2024 Finals, Lively cut the Celtics lead to 2 points with 1:20 remaining in the 4th.

19 seconds later, JB made a contested jumper to give the Cs a 4-point cushion with 1:01 left in the 4th.

You could say that jumper by JB killed any chances of the Mavs from making that a competitive Finals series.

Some of them have selective amnesia.

They remember the random game in October when he goes 1 for 10 and immediately start “let’s trade JB” chants.

His contract will look like a bargain in a few years as the cap increases and teams start giving their stars max contracts. And they’ll most likely have nothing to show for that contract.

[brackdan70]

JB and a Pick for The Flagg (2025 #1).

That's a $39,416,244 salary Reduction (JB's $53,242,164 vs $13,825,920 for the #1 Pick).

Billy King isn’t walking through that door.

[Curmudgeon]

Jaylen Brown for FVV and Houston's unprotected 2025 first round pick. It's confusing, but Houston may have the right to swap that for Phoenix' pick, which could net Flagg (4 % chance or thereabouts). The Celtics then decline their team option on FVV. Even if the pick doesn't net Flagg, the deal gives financial flexibility going forward.

[phincsfan]

Jaylen Brown for FVV and Houston's unprotected 2025 first round pick. It's confusing, but Houston may have the right to swap that for Phoenix' pick, which could net Flagg (4 % chance or thereabouts). The Celtics then decline their team option on FVV. Even if the pick doesn't net Flagg, the deal gives financial flexibility going forward.

Pretty sure a team option has to be picked up prior to the trade being completed.