Free Agent/Trade/Waiver Thread, 2025-26

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

They wouldn't have to. You hope to rehabilitate his career by the Trading Deadline or you ship him out with a Future Lottery protected First and a couple of Seconds. This is a team in serious need of quality young talent...

[Parliament10]

Cs will have until Aug. 29 to waive and stretch, but that's unlikely as Simons is an expiring.

A buyout will not help as it will only save the Cs some money, but the cap hit will still be the full amount of Simons' salary.

So it will go down the wire at the trade deadline if the Cs are willing to wait.

Also, Celtic ownership said the tax is not the primary objective.

According to reports, Brad said the Cs are not really targetting going under the tax completely.

So maybe just staying under the 2nd apron is good enough.

If they Waive-and-Stretch him, it's $9.2/yr over 3 years.
Any Buyout would recalculate that.

Yes, 9.2m per year.

But Simons is not like Beal or Dame.

Simons is still peaking and is a very productive player.

Can't be guarded 1 on 1.

He's like Kyrie on offense.

The only negative is he's bad on defense.

I believe the trade deadline is where the Cs will make their final decision on which path to take.

Like Brad said, they will play to win.

But that could change if the Cs are just 20-30 at trade deadline.

Cs might tank if that's the case and Simons will be traded.

You. and others, may be right.
But, I'm in the camp that doesn't think that he suits up for Boston.

We'll see what Brad Stevens has up his sleeve.

[phincsfan]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

That's wrong.

RJ is locked up for 25/26 and 26/27 only.

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

If they Waive-and-Stretch him, it's $9.2/yr over 3 years.
Any Buyout would recalculate that.

Yes, 9.2m per year.

But Simons is not like Beal or Dame.

Simons is still peaking and is a very productive player.

Can't be guarded 1 on 1.

He's like Kyrie on offense.

The only negative is he's bad on defense.

I believe the trade deadline is where the Cs will make their final decision on which path to take.

Like Brad said, they will play to win.

But that could change if the Cs are just 20-30 at trade deadline.

Cs might tank if that's the case and Simons will be traded.

You. and others, may be right.
But, I'm in the camp that doesn't think that he suits up for Boston.

We'll see what Brad Stevens has up his sleeve.

Things to be falling out of Brad's sleeve after turning down the 9th Pick for Holiday.

[Larry_Russell]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

Some of us claimed there were better offers,.....


I heard it was Quickley or Barrett and #9. (whether its credible or not)

[Parliament10]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

That's wrong.

RJ is locked up for 25/26 and 26/27 only.

Yeah. You're a year off, Fierce.

He made $25.8M in 2024-2025.
He'll make $27.7M in 2025-26, and $29.6M in 2026-27.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/31560/rj-barrett

[Larry_Russell]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

The Raptors also wanted the Celtics to take RJ Barrett with the 9th pick. Fischer said that on the podcast.

Barrett is the VASTLY superior player to Simons.

[phincsfan]

Maybe a handful of the new 24 owners said they didn't want to pay for that rumored trade offer

[phincsfan]

I'm puking if that rumored trade offer was turned down by Stevens.

[Larry_Russell]

Can't be guarded 1 on 1.

He's like Kyrie on offense.

The only negative is he's bad on defense.

Had to display this post just to respond to it when I saw it in someone elses reply.



This is one of the worst takes I have ever seen. Bring that **** to any other board and see where that gets you.


Only negative...


Just like Kyrie....


Jesus, just admit you have never watched him play and youtubed him after hearing about the trade.

God

[djFan71]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

Some of us claimed there were better offers,.....


I heard it was Quickley or Barrett and #9. (whether its credible or not)

When you add the salary of #9 pick ($6.3M), that actually would have added to our salary for this year.

You probably could have done something with Barrett/IQ to whittle it down, though.
Or Barrett & 9 to BKN for 2-3 of their later picks and they just take his whole deal.

[165bows]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

That's wrong.

RJ is locked up for 25/26 and 26/27 only.

So no team wanted the #9 with Barrett?

[phincsfan]

Damn I was way off with my C's and Raps trade scenarios. I thought White could pry that 9th pick plus future 1st's. If they were really interested in Jrue for #9

[redslastlaugh]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

That's wrong.

RJ is locked up for 25/26 and 26/27 only.

So no team wanted the #9 with Barrett?

I had heard that Raps wanted off Barrett for unprofessional conduct behind the scenes. I don't know the story or whatever, but I had heard they were interested in a Jrue for RJ swap.

Pick #9 would have been nice but I can see for financial reasons why celts wouldn't do it. Whether it was Quickley or RJ Barrett, the money is a problem.

[chrisab123]

Celtics won't touch 35 wins. This is just the beginning. Simons will be moved. Niang will be moved. People need to get their heads around this. This year is about dropping salary, playing young players, losing for a high draft pick and getting below the 2nd, 1st aprons and hopefully below the luxury tax while keeping the core of Brown, White, Tatum and Pritchard intact. Nothing else matters. People expecting anything else are going to be severely disappointed. There is a reason why Simons hasn't been anywhere near Boston, he doesn't expect to be here at the start of the season.

Brad Stevens is going to be extremely active between now and the mid-season trade deadline.

Curious how you expect the Celtics in a crappy east to get under 35 wins while keeping White and Brown. I think people are underrating this roster and overrating its ability to tank. Like I know the goal on here is to get a team that’s so bad it tanks and gets a pick for one or two years, even though the 2027 draft looks like ass. But it’s not likely. People are going to be pissed when they play hard, especially Brown. Brown is a perennial all star and White is borderline. In a stars league they’ll beat up on teams like the Wizards and Jazz all day.

The Celtics with Pritchard, Simons, Hauser, Niang, Queta, Garza, Tillman. A Williams etc. Who are they stopping on defense? The offense without Tatum, Holiday, Horford, Porzingis and Kornet are certainly not going to be better than the 119.5 ORTG (2nd in in the NBA). I actually think people in this forum are overrating the 2025/2026 Boston Celtics.

The problem is that White and Brown are very capable defenders so it’s not like you’re throwing Jordan Poole out there. I’m not high on the team but you don’t have to be to say they’ll win more than 35 games.

[djFan71]

That's wrong.

RJ is locked up for 25/26 and 26/27 only.

So no team wanted the #9 with Barrett?

I had heard that Raps wanted off Barrett for unprofessional conduct behind the scenes. I don't know the story or whatever, but I had heard they were interested in a Jrue for RJ swap.

Pick #9 would have been nice but I can see for financial reasons why celts wouldn't do it. Whether it was Quickley or RJ Barrett, the money is a problem.

Seems so easy to 3-team that with BKN, though. They take Barrett who kinda works for them & 9 , send back like 19 & 27 or something. BOS is completely off Jrue money.

[redslastlaugh]

So no team wanted the #9 with Barrett?

I had heard that Raps wanted off Barrett for unprofessional conduct behind the scenes. I don't know the story or whatever, but I had heard they were interested in a Jrue for RJ swap.

Pick #9 would have been nice but I can see for financial reasons why celts wouldn't do it. Whether it was Quickley or RJ Barrett, the money is a problem.

Seems so easy to 3-team that with BKN, though. They take Barrett who kinda works for them & 9 , send back like 19 & 27 or something. BOS is completely off Jrue money.

For sure. I imagine it was explored.

I thought even we could do a 3-way with Ja'Kobe Walter coming back to us, RJ going to BRK, Jrue to Toronto, I posted it on the Trade board a while back
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2439376&p=118009429&hilit=ja%27kobe#p118009429

But, obviously didn't happen ... I mean, who knows the reasoning behind the scenes... if we could have used Jrue +#28 +#32 and somehow ended up with #9 and salary cap relief, that would have been pretty sweet

[phincsfan]

It's obvious Brooklyn is trying to build something from the ground up.

To take on a contract like Barrett's hinders that.

[brackdan70]

I mean 9 would have been nice, but Barrett for two years would be dumb.
Would have had to use a first to dump him.
I like Simons better as a player and definitely like the contract better. Number nine pick evens out the value for sure and maybe then some, but Celtics needed to shave salary. I get the move by Stevens….but, damn.

[Larry_Russell]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

Some of us claimed there were better offers,.....


I heard it was Quickley or Barrett and #9. (whether its credible or not)

When you add the salary of #9 pick ($6.3M), that actually would have added to our salary for this year.

You probably could have done something with Barrett/IQ to whittle it down, though.
Or Barrett & 9 to BKN for 2-3 of their later picks and they just take his whole deal.

Exactly.

Or keep barrett amd dump KP with the pick for capspace and a future pick.

Far more options


Dumping KP would have saved a 2nd (iirc) and shed 30 mill, and this trade would have dropped another 4-5.

Result would have been a very serviceable player who actually works with the core future or late picks and more savings than we currently have.

Brad **** up bad this offseason

Could have had barrett and pivks and more savings (probs kept kornet)


But we have simons and niang