2025 Offseason Trade and Free Agency Thread (The Fun Never Stops Edition)

[GoCeltics123]

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[Bill Lumbergh]

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Loved Al, but I'm totally okay with parting ways with him now. We're not going to need 70 year old Al for the 26-27 season and beyond, which is all that matters. Minimum JAG will be fine for this year, or try to get a long term solution using one of our valuable guys. Either way, I think the Al experience is coming to an end. He was great for us.

[Gant]

Bobby Krivitsky on bluesky:
‪
When the Celtics converted JD Davison's two-way deal into a standard contract, Joe Mazzulla noted about that decision: “I just thought it was the right thing to do because of what he’s done as a player for our program and what he’s done as a person.”

Declining his team option would've helped a bit financially, but Davison has grown a lot in his three years with the Celtics.

He's evolved as a person, pushing past his comfort zone as someone who's shy and quiet by nature. He's also grown his game, evidenced by his G League MVP Award.

Davison told me learning from the team's other guards, like Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday, has helped him grow a lot in becoming more vocal.

As for the growth of his game, it's all over the record books. Davison is one of 16 players in G League history with at least 1,000 career assists. He is the Maine Celtics' all-time leading scorer. The same goes for steals and assists.


me: Bobby Krivitsky points out how much Davison has grown, both as a person and a player. The reason picking up this option is a good move is he's still riding that upward trend as a player. It doesn't really cost anything to find out if this will continue. If it does, he'll be a contributor.

[celticgreenie]

If Al doesn't return I wonder if Celtics pivot to Day'ron Sharpe who is an unrestricted free agent.

[return2glory]

Now that the Jazz have Jusuf Nurkić, maybe Boston can S&T Kornet to the Jazz along with a 2nd round pick or two for Kessler.

[return2glory]

Kornet vs the Knicks in the playoffs:

5.2 ppg, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks (due to that 1 great game), in 17 minutes. That was good production for only 17 minutes.

You take that 1 career game away, then it's 4.8 ppg, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 15 minutes. Still solid numbers. He had a good year for a back up, but someone will over pay him.

Against the Magic in the playoffs, he averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 18 minutes.

[phincsfan]

This is the perfect type of season to see what Peterson can do. I really hope they get him on the roster.

[Fierce1]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45506849/nba-free-agency-2025-latest-signings-news-buzz-trades-reports

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks are still looking for a head coach, and the Boston Celtics are dramatically reshaping their roster now that Jayson Tatum will miss a good portion of next season following surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon.

Tatum can return for the 2025-26 season.

[return2glory]

So if Luke and Al aren't up for it and nobody bites on Simons, what about JB for Sabonis and several good firsts?

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/06/jaylen-brown-trade-rumors-nba-insider-hints-at-new-team-targeting-celtics-star.html

Sabonis is not good. Teams get better when he leaves. Just a stat getter on bad teams. No thank you. Indy got rid of him because he crashed and burned in the playoffs

I wouldn't mind him as a KP replacement. No way would I trade Brown for him.

[165bows]

Read on Twitter

Will be sad when it happens but if Al leaves I’d imagine it’s to the Rockets or Okc just get a couple assets back in a sign and trade he can do us a solid one last time lol

[GoCeltics123]

Boston has paid luxury tax for the past three seasons, and when teams are above the tax line in three of four seasons they are hit with harsh penalties. A league source said the team could explore ways to dip below that threshold.

The source said that while the Celtics believe in Simons, a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter who averaged 19.3 points per game for the Trail Blazers last season, they could shed his $27.7 million expiring contract in a subsequent trade.

Himmelsbach

[darrendaye]

This is the perfect type of season to see what Peterson can do. I really hope they get him on the roster.

We're a few more moves away from checkmate there I'd think.

I was writing a post but then saw the Hornet-Jazz trade news. But, even after that deal, I could still see a world this trade happens....
Simons to Utah for Clarkston, KJ Martin, and some level of draft compensation.

I'd also push to take Tillman into their 3mm TPE.
1. Shaves another 5.3mm+ off the cap for the C's, plus whatever relief sending Tillman out provides.
2. Clarkston offers some scoring still and his contract fits into Kings and Heat TPE, more options to find a match regardless.

Clarkston is also a push the pace type player.

[playa-hater]

I don't mind a bridge season if it meant We getting and developing young players. But this just shedding salary for a whole bunch of nobodies is killing me.

[redslastlaugh]

Celtics front office extended our players so far past the budget that they knew were writing checks they couldn't afford to cash. But they signed everyone anyway. And just displayed supreme confidence that they could get assets for our players at these salaries.

And so far they have turned Jrue into Simons and 2 second rounders.
And they turned KP into Niang.
We haven't had to gut the team or our assets to this point, even if KP is a better player than Niang.

The problem is that we are still way over budget if the budget is $188 million (the tax line) and I don't see what rabbit the front office is going to pull out of their hat here.

It does go back to why did Wyc authorize all these extensions that we couldn't afford in the first place? I don't know what they've got cooking behind the scenes ... but, at this moment, the books are still a mess, imo ... and we don't want to pay our limited picks to get off of these contracts.

I don't mind a bridge season if it meant We getting and developing young players. But this just shedding salary for a whole bunch of nobodies is killing me.

[chrisab123]

So if Luke and Al aren't up for it and nobody bites on Simons, what about JB for Sabonis and several good firsts?

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/06/jaylen-brown-trade-rumors-nba-insider-hints-at-new-team-targeting-celtics-star.html

Sabonis is not good. Teams get better when he leaves. Just a stat getter on bad teams. No thank you. Indy got rid of him because he crashed and burned in the playoffs

I wouldn't mind him as a KP replacement. No way would I trade Brown for him.

You don’t trade Brown for him. You try and get him for picks and expirings and hope the Kings are dumb enough to accept. Sabonis is good.

[chrisab123]

Celtics front office extended our players so far past the budget that they knew were writing checks they couldn't afford to cash. But they signed everyone anyway. And just displayed supreme confidence that they could get assets for our players at these salaries.

And so far they have turned Jrue into Simons and 2 second rounders.
And they turned KP into Niang.
We haven't had to gut the team or our assets to this point, even if KP is a better player than Niang.

The problem is that we are still way over budget if the budget is $188 million (the tax line) and I don't see what rabbit the front office is going to pull out of their hat here.

It does go back to why did Wyc authorize all these extensions that we couldn't afford in the first place? I don't know what they've got cooking behind the scenes ... but, at this moment, the books are still a mess, imo ... and we don't want to pay our limited picks to get off of these contracts.

I don't mind a bridge season if it meant We getting and developing young players. But this just shedding salary for a whole bunch of nobodies is killing me.

To be fair the only people that are saying the budget is under the luxury tax are posters on RealGM. If there is even a shot of Tatum coming back they probably won’t go under the luxury tax. It doesn’t make sense. This roster without Tatum won’t be in a play in game and is too good to tank. Unless you trade Brown or White you’re looking at a 4-6 seed in the crappy East. So yeah.

[fallguy]

Celtics front office extended our players so far past the budget that they knew were writing checks they couldn't afford to cash. But they signed everyone anyway. And just displayed supreme confidence that they could get assets for our players at these salaries.

And so far they have turned Jrue into Simons and 2 second rounders.
And they turned KP into Niang.
We haven't had to gut the team or our assets to this point, even if KP is a better player than Niang.

The problem is that we are still way over budget if the budget is $188 million (the tax line) and I don't see what rabbit the front office is going to pull out of their hat here.

It does go back to why did Wyc authorize all these extensions that we couldn't afford in the first place? I don't know what they've got cooking behind the scenes ... but, at this moment, the books are still a mess, imo ... and we don't want to pay our limited picks to get off of these contracts.

I don't mind a bridge season if it meant We getting and developing young players. But this just shedding salary for a whole bunch of nobodies is killing me.

Which of our players require picks to offload?

[fallguy]

Sabonis is not good. Teams get better when he leaves. Just a stat getter on bad teams. No thank you. Indy got rid of him because he crashed and burned in the playoffs

I wouldn't mind him as a KP replacement. No way would I trade Brown for him.

You don’t trade Brown for him. You try and get him for picks and expirings and hope the Kings are dumb enough to accept. Sabonis is good.

They're not trading Sabonis. And he's not that good.

[redslastlaugh]

unloading Simons at $27 million
(tho hopefully not)

[fallguy]

Boston has paid luxury tax for the past three seasons, and when teams are above the tax line in three of four seasons they are hit with harsh penalties. A league source said the team could explore ways to dip below that threshold.

The source said that while the Celtics believe in Simons, a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter who averaged 19.3 points per game for the Trail Blazers last season, they could shed his $27.7 million expiring contract in a subsequent trade.

Himmelsbach

Every single sourced reference to Simons points out how he might be traded.

I doubt we'll even get to Brad's next presser with him on the roster.