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

[phincsfan]

I bet DA lands Knecht or Reaves or both

[Andre3822]

LA always gets their big man.

Inevitability at it's finest.

They're gonna end up with Ayton + Lopez/Capela or something, that's not something to be envied

How are they gonna get Kessler?

[165bows]

Two things with Al/Luke - definitely the sentimental factor, one, and two, this team could have stayed afloat with those guys on super cheap contracts. it's part of how they won 125 games in two years is those guys playing on below market value deals.

At this point it's starting to look like pay the tax or just sink to play-in level team, you need half decent bigs these days.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to get out of the tax they still need to shed another ~20M?

So that means something like Simons for Jalen Smith/Dosunmo, pay to dump D. Terry for the Bulls, and then *still* have another 10M to go. The math to get all the way under the tax is just really bad.

BRB going to get the 2026 mock draft links posted.

[jonige94]

Just tank and develop some young guys, its pretty obvious.

You aren't tanking with JB and White on the team though. As currently constructed, they're still a playoff team.

Not sure if they are, Orlando,New York,Detroit,Cavs,Indiana,Atlanta, Raptors and a healthy Sixers will be better than a team led by stone hands Brown.

[phincsfan]

LA always gets their big man.

Inevitability at it's finest.

They're gonna end up with Ayton + Lopez/Capela or something, that's not something to be envied

How are they gonna get Kessler?

Easy

To start, Knecht for Kessler straight up. Picks may need to be swapped.

[Andre3822]

LA always gets their big man.

Inevitability at it's finest.

They're gonna end up with Ayton + Lopez/Capela or something, that's not something to be envied

How are they gonna get Kessler?

Easy

To start, Knecht for Kessler straight up. Picks may need to be swapped.

He's worth way more

[redslastlaugh]

With Anfernee Simons ($27.6) and Georges Niang ($8.2) the C's are at $200 million roughly with, I think, 12 contracts. They need to get under $188 million with 14 contracts. They could save the odd $250k swapping out Tillman for a guy making a touch less but really it comes down to what they do with Simons and Niang (and then Sam Hauser).

It's not looking that bleak but I don't want to give up our draft picks to do it. And then they will have up until the trade deadline to apply any finishing touches as well.

Two things with Al/Luke - definitely the sentimental factor, one, and two, this team could have stayed afloat with those guys on super cheap contracts. it's part of how they won 125 games in two years is those guys playing on below market value deals.

At this point it's starting to look like pay the tax or just sink to play-in level team, you need half decent bigs these days.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to get out of the tax they still need to shed another ~20M?

So that means something like Simons for Jalen Smith/Dosunmo, pay to dump D. Terry for the Bulls, and then *still* have another 10M to go. The math to get all the way under the tax is just really bad.

BRB going to get the 2026 mock draft links posted.

[GoCeltics123]

Read on Twitter

At least we have this!!

[Memokerobi]

My guess is Al leaves this year and comes back for his final season on a vet min next year. No idea if he’ll still be good by then though.

Having no bigs is a good way to tank while still playing entertaining games with JB/White and PP

[jmr07019]

Teams paying the tax in 3 of the previous 4 years are paying the repeat tax rates. Ducking the tax this year but not next year will not help with repeater tax issue. It will still save money this year but you are still paying repeater rates.

All that to say no need to stress about missing the tax this year if we’re planning on diving back in next year. Owners plan wasn’t to buy the team sell everything and tank. The new owners will want to win especially after a down year where Tatum was hurt. If the Celtics want to win in 26-27 they can’t go too crazy cutting costs now. TPEs and the MLE can add money to a team over the cap, but not always easy to make TPEs work. I hope the Celtics plan on spending more than the MLE over the tax line. Champions normally have expensive pay rolls iirc.


Trade Niang and if need be Hauser (no salary returns) and sign Kornet in the 10-12/year range. They will be a tax payer but the tax burden will be much less.

[MaxwellSmart]

Soft tanking begins in less than one hour.

[chrisab123]

The amount of simping for Billionaires on this thread is insane. People wanting to be under the tax for the next two years so the penalties on the new Celtics owners won’t be bad. Would the Lakers do that?

Again I just want to remind people that for the last decade a lot of the lottery teams have stayed the same. Be careful what you wish for.

[cloverleaf]

Read on Twitter

At least we have this!!

Thanks--I needed this!

What next? Can we get Harden to the Pacers or something?

[CelticFaninLBC]

Will be tough to tank when they have 2 top 30 players and the East sucks...

[celticgreenie]

If veterans like Al and Luke leave then Joe will really have to coach next year. No security blankets.

[bisme37]

I don't want to lose Al and/or Luke you guys. That's all I had to say about that.

[bisme37]

NBA Sets 2025-26 Salary Cap At $154.647M, Luxury Tax At $187.895M

The NBA has set the Salary Cap for the 2025-26 season at $154.647 million with the Luxury Tax set at $187.897 million.

• The Minimum Team Salary is $139.182 million for the 2025-26 season.
• The First Apron Level is $195.945 million for the 2025-26 season.
• The Second Apron Level is $207.824 million for the 2025-26 season.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement provides for three different Mid-Level Exceptions depending on a team's salary level. The Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level for the 2025-26 season is $14.104 million, the Taxpayer Mid-Level is $5.685 million, and the Mid-Level for a team with room under the Salary Cap is $8.781 million.

The Salary Cap and Tax Level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 1. The moratorium period ends at noon ET on Sunday, July 6.

The NBA's salary cap was set at $140.588 million last season, which represents a 10 percent increase this season. The 2027-28 salary cap is projected to reach $170.1 million.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281135/NBA-Sets-2025-26-Salary-Cap-At-$154647M-Luxury-Tax-At-$187895M

[Shak_Celts]

The amount of simping for Billionaires on this thread is insane. People wanting to be under the tax for the next two years so the penalties on the new Celtics owners won’t be bad. Would the Lakers do that?

Again I just want to remind people that for the last decade a lot of the lottery teams have stayed the same. Be careful what you wish for.

This makes no sense, no one here has any control over what they do. THEY are trying to save money, posters are simply trying to give examples of how they can go about doing that. If money didn’t matter to the new owners no one here would care about how they can cut costs! If you think fans really don’t want to spend WHATEVER to win, I don’t know what to tell you.


What do you suggest people talk about, trades that are not only unrealistic, but never going to happen with these penny pinching new owners and the CBA? THEY want to get off money, straight from the horses mouth! Be fr fr.

[cloverleaf]

No C's rumors?!?

[Smart2Nesmith43]

No C's rumors?!?

Sources tell me that Denver will buy out Jokic and he plans to sign a four year deal with the Boston Celtics.