NBA Notebook: Dynasty no sure thing for Celtics but they have a chance

Joel Embiid made an appearance at the NBA Finals on Friday, not to play, but to join the ESPN studio show where he received a question about the Boston Celtics' outlook beyond their likely 2024 championship. Boston would not clinch its 18th title in Game 4 at Dallas. Embiid, before that happened, declared the Celtics would not become a dynasty. 

Barring the worst collapse in NBA history, Boston will take the first step toward that status with the first title for this core. Messenger aside, Embiid's point could still have some grounding in reality. The Celtics did win series against injured Heat, Cavaliers and Pacers teams on their way to the Finals against the fifth-seeded Mavericks. Boston will become the sixth consecutive new champion over the past six seasons. The new second apron, which Embiid referenced as a new enhancer of that parity, a status Boston has embraced, will make it more difficult to keep this team together long-term. 

But the Celtics haven't played a Game 6 yet, boast a historic net rating and almost finished 80-20. The Celtics will have earned their status as favorites to repeat in 2024-25 and beyond. And what Embiid didn't acknowledge is that Boston is especially suited, perhaps more than any NBA rival, to keep its roster together. Jayson Tatum embraced the expectation to repeat, taking a swipe at critics. 

"You guys would probably say we didn’t play anybody to get here," Tatum said on Thursday. "So we just gotta do it again next year.”

Tatum will inevitably sign a five-year extension, worth roughly $315 million, to keep him under contract with Boston until at least 2029 alongside Jaylen Brown. Their super max extensions will make the team egregiously expensive in 2025-26 as repeater luxury tax payments come into play, but Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis and even Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are signed for the 2025 campaign. There are rules that'll make it difficult to pay everyone. There's also nothing preventing them from doing so, Boston already agreeing to a $135 million deal with Holiday through 2028 while White will reportedly discuss a new contract with the Celtics this summer, according to Marc Stein, when White is eligible again. 

Boston has older players, namely Horford, who'll turn 39 late next season during the last year of his deal. Horford and family members have expressed that he hopes to play for as long as he can, and has no plans to retire following his first championship, while Holiday, 34 this week, moved into a more complementary role this year and stayed healthy. Porziņģis did the same for most of the year until a soleus strain and a bizarre torn medial retinaculum in his opposite leg knocked him out for most of this postseason. He signed for two extra years through 2026 last summer at relatively team-friendly terms against an increasing salary cap. His health, like Kevin Garnett's after 2008, could dictate Boston's ability to contend more than money. The Celtics dominated his minutes in these Finals (+27.7 net rating) and have lost the ones without him (-10.2). 

"We've been playing all season and all playoffs without KP, so it wasn't any surprise for anybody," Brown said after Game 3. "Obviously, we'd love to have KP out there, we're different when he is, but X stepped into that role and I thought he was great." 

As long as Horford remains available as Porziņģis' backup, and vice versa, they showed an ability to sustain each other this season. Porziņģis' status, or someone else in the core, could become a question in 2026 if money becomes an issue. The second apron itself shouldn't be one though, Holiday's extension giving the Celtics a slight chance to avoid the penalties this season, though more likely than not Boston will deal with restrictions that don't crush them. No mid-level exception additions aren't great, but the Celtics built a championship-level roster without one last year. Dollar-for-dollar money matching in trades is a big deal. They don't have to execute any significant ones this summer, because the roster is set. The draft pick that's frozen seven years in the future is probably one Brad Stevens would've been willing to move in the right trade anyway, and you don't lose the pick. You simply can't trade it and it drops to the end of the first round if you're above the second apron line for enough years. Stevens has never used a first-round pick as president. 

So who will the second apron hurt? The teams like the Clippers and Warriors, inordinately expensive and needing to make adjustments to compete as their rosters age, will struggle. They could get stuck. Rosters that get too expensive for their ownership groups to stand tax payments could see themselves effectively giving away valuable players, a benefit for rebuilding, inexpensive teams. The Celtics have a young core duo, role players they're happy with and effectively no bad contracts for now. Horford moving to money that's less than the mid-level became a huge security blanket, as have the fairly consistent contributions from Hauser, Pritchard, Oshae Brissett, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. on minuscule cap hits. Kornet and Tillman become unrestricted free agents this offseason. Brissett owns a minimum player option. Hauser is signed for one more season through a team option. 

Boston's attempt to line up Jaden Springer, Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta as cost-controlled potential future replacements for those kind of players is essential if they receive even marginal interest elsewhere this summer. Drafting and developing will heavily aid the ability to sustain their core as it ages, gets too expensive, or potentially deteriorates in any area. The Celtics own the No. 30 pick in this year's draft and various future firsts, turning their first last year into multiple future second-rounders in a strategy that Boston could repeat this year, per sources. 

"This group has a lot of answers," Stevens said in April. "Can do a lot of things on both side of the ball. It's a mature group, it's an easy to be around group of people ... I think we all can see it, Jrue came here and joined our team and all he tried to do is add to winning. And for a guy that is as accomplished as he is, that is as used to more usage, more reps, more touches and all those other things, that never even came into play ... I just think that when you look at the kind of player that he is, what he's capable of any night ... I've been really impressed ... when you think about the long term of a group, you need really good players and guys that can play on both ends of the court, but you also want guys that young players can look up to and he is a person they should look up to and certainly do look up to." 

That's why the Celtics appear more suited than any other team to survive the new collective bargaining agreement in the near term. It impacts a team's ability to solve their own problems, and despite being reliant on their top-six, those players are so versatile that Boston has been able to post a competitive record with any one or sometimes two players out of its lineup. For all the coverage about how Porziņģis changed everything for the Celtics this year, some of that being true, the team entered Friday 32-5 this season when he sat. They didn't lose any of the 12 games that Brown missed. Only White's absence (3-3 through his first six) appeared to inordinately impact how the team played, but he appeared in 73 games. This group doesn't miss a tremendous number of games to injuries, at least compared to some of their big-spending counterparts. The Knicks, who appeared to stylistically boast a team capable of competing with the Celtics, crumbled late in the playoffs with multiple major ailments. The Clippers can never seem to find full health. 

As those teams assess moves to bridge the gap with Boston, the Celtics have everything they need and won't immediately lose much of their core. One of the biggest reasons they're in that position is because they wisely made moves that beat the buzzer on forthcoming changes. The Malcolm Brogdon trade in 2023, for example, happened before the NBA barred trades that stack multiple minimum salaries during a certain portion of the league year. That deal wouldn't be legal today, and it directly led to the Celtics having the major salary to match Holiday's money in that trade. The way Robert Williams III and Brogdon's salaries combined to match Holiday's is also no longer allowed for second-apron teams, it's one-for-one, dollar-for-dollar. Boston snuck its last aggregation trade in while the CBA gave teams a one-year grace period on that restriction. A move that now looks crucial to the Celtics even being in this position this year, never mind into the future. Even the Grant Williams sign-and-trade wouldn't be possible now.

Look across the league and other teams have more pressing money and personnel matters than Boston. Golden State is set to decide on Klay Thompson's future against a waterfall of tax. The Clippers are trying to maintain their core despite it leading to a first-round loss last year, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Paul George all set to hit free agency. Milwaukee re-upped aging players last summer and is now mostly locked into that roster while dealing with second-apron concerns. Phoenix built almost entirely around three max players with limited versatility, and traded all their picks to do so. Philadelphia, as Embiid boasts of forthcoming improvements, rolled with cap space as their path to the next star alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Doing so required a half punt on 2024, Nic Batum, Robert Covington and other returning players in the trade a fine band-aid. They could be affirmed in waiting for the perfect addition, and short-term additions like how Indiana bridged to Pascal Siakam with Bruce Brown might allowed them to survive a strikeout on stars this summer. It's a continuation of the same waiting game that's been going on in Philadelphia for the past decade. 

Boston realized its time is now, and dynasty or not, one title that they're on the doorstep of could be worth whatever pain their process inflicts years from now. They've given themselves the chance to be in the mix for the foreseeable future with the moves they've made, and that's more than nearly any other team can say. All it'll cost to maintain that opportunity each year is money, something Wyc Grousbeck has expressed a desire to keep providing. 

"I can't talk about much with things that we're not allowed to discuss until July 1," Stevens said in April. "But Derrick has had an amazing year, Derrick is a huge, huge part of our team and we want him around as long as we can keep him around ... we got a lot of good players that want to be part of something bigger than themselves. That was pretty clear from the get go. And I think our job is to fit it all together." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Have discussed trading down from the No. 1 overall pick in this month's NBA Draft, which takes place in 11 days. UConn center Donovan Clingan, who could be available if the team trades back, reportedly impressed the Hawks in a workout. French wing Zaccharie Risacher remains Kevin O'Connor's mock selection to Atlanta if they stay in the top spot, noting that Atlanta hasn't worked out everyone that it wants to yet and has struggled bringing in top prospects for workouts. That could lead the team to change its outlook on the field drastically closer to draft day, with the 2024 class among the most wide open, especially at the top, in recent memory. 

Boston (lead 3-1 vs. DAL): Activated Kristaps Porziņģis (leg) for special circumstances in Game 4 after the big man left Game 2 with a rare left leg injury that impacts the tendons around his foot and ankle. Joe Mazzulla called the injury serious with some medical analysts saying that it'll likely require surgery. It would mark a crushing end to Porziņģis if he can't return, he ultimately did not play in Game 4, albeit one smoothed over if the Celtics can secure their 18th championship at home on Monday. Dallas crushed Boston to save its season on Friday, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggling then exiting midway through the third quarter of Game 4 after combining for 61 points in Game 3 to secure a comeback win, 3-0 lead and placing Brown in position to secure Finals MVP after winning the east finals award. Xavier Tillman Sr. replaced Porziņģis' minutes in Games 3-4. Once the Finals end, Tatum and Jrue Holiday will prepare for the Olympics and Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday that Derrick White could join them as an injury replacement if Kawhi Leonard (knee) can't play. It's unclear how Porziņģis' injury would impact his availability for Latvia's Olympic qualifying bid. 

Reports previously raised the idea that Jeff Van Gundy could move from the front office to directly on Mazzulla's staff this summer, but the Clippers will reportedly make a push to prevent that, aiming to hire Van Gundy to Ty Lue's bench, according to Marc Stein. Charles Lee will leave to the Celtics after the Finals to take over Charlotte. 

Brooklyn: Reportedly have no interest in trading star guard Mikal Bridges despite he and the Nets struggling to find footing in year two together and missing the playoffs. Brooklyn doesn't own its first round picks for the foreseeable future, thanks to the James Harden trade, which is likely part of the motivation for holding onto the loose core that's come together since Kevin Durant departed. The Knicks, Rockets and Grizzlies have shown varying interest in acquiring Bridges, New York able to reunite him with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo in a popular idea, but trades between Brooklyn and New York are rare. The Nets remain focused on adding an additional star next to Bridges eventually, armed with future Phoenix draft picks after a disappointing first season for Durant's Suns, perhaps Donovan Mitchell. Bridges is signed through 2026. 

Charlotte: Marc Spears profiled how Celtics assistant Charles Lee is balancing his hire as Hornets head coach and the long lead-up to actually joining Charlotte full time as he finishes Boston's NBA Finals run. Lee has effectively been working two jobs, filling out his Hornets staff, preparing for his front office's first NBA Draft in Charlotte and trying to beat the Pacers and Mavericks to secure his second NBA championship. Lee has also been meeting with Hornets players to begin building relationships with them, some in person and others virtually. Boston Sports Journal profiled Lee before this season. 

"The biggest thing is focusing on the right now, which I need to. When my Celtics hat is on, I’m fully engaged. That is where my mind is at," Lee said. "When I leave the arena, all of a sudden you have to think about your staff and connecting with your players and what does the training camp and summer league look like. I’ve been making pretty good progress."

Cleveland: Focusing their head coaching search on James Borrego, the former Hornets head coach, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, who last coached the Nets, and Micah Nori, who helped lead the Timberwolves through the west while Chris Finch was injured. Nori would become a first time head coach. The Cavs fired JB Bickerstaff earlier this month and have considered a variety of candidates beyond their core three, including Bucks assistant Dave Joerger and Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant. The Cavs currently hope to hire a coach before the draft and retain their core four, including Donovan Mitchell, who hasn't expressed any desire to be traded publicly, but also hasn't agreed to a long-term extension with Cleveland. He's eligible to agree to a four-year, $208 million deal this summer ahead of his player option to become a free agent next year. 

Dallas (down 1-3 vs. BOS): Have to pull off the first 0-3 comeback in NBA history to win the championship, an unlikely feat, but one they took the first step toward at home in Game 4 in a blowout that included the largest lead in NBA Finals history (48). Luka Dončić, who fouled out of Game 3 and received enormous criticism, including from Jason Kidd and his own teammates, for his defense, complaining to officiating and offensive consistency in the series. Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Al Horford had effectively slowed him on switches and prevented him from passing, limiting him to 18 assists and forcing 15 turnovers through three games. Dončić responded by saving the Mavs' season in Game 4, posting 29 points, five rebounds and five assists with three steals despite converting 0-of-8 tries from three. 

Dereck Lively II hit a rare three and flushed a pair of third-quarter dunks to send Boston's starters to the bench. Derrick Jones Jr. hit a three and got in Jayson Tatum's face. Daniel Gafford scored six straight points and blocked Tatum to begin the third and PJ Washington went 2-for-3 from deep. Dallas' role players provided little to that point and collectively woke up in Game 4, while the Mavs flexed their rebounding advantage for the first time, 65-39, in the eventual 122-84 win. Game 5 is Monday at 8:30. 

Detroit: Hired Pelicans assistant coach and respected shooting guru Fred Vinson to Monty Williams' staff, the first imprint made by new president Trajan Langdon, the former New Orleans general manager. Langdon arrived with authority to make changes to Detroit's front office and coaching staff, ultimately parting ways with GM Troy Weaver, but Vinson's hiring could be a positive sign for Williams, who finished a rocky first season on a long-term deal with some uncertainty. The Pistons are on the ground floor of a rebuild, and with organizational decisions as much to blame, if not more, than any coaching issues, it'd make sense to give Williams another chance after making a massive commitment to him last summer. 

Houston: Another team open to moving its first-round pick after making a major lottery leap to No. 3 overall through their Nets pick. The Rockets continue to focus on winning now into Ime Udoka's second season and have already made efforts to acquire an upgrade like Mikal Bridges. With that out of the cards for now, there doesn't appear to be an immediate upgrade available unless Donovan Mitchell or someone of that caliber demands a trade. Given Houston's draft position and their other future Nets picks available to trade, they're a team to watch for whatever star becomes available. If Houston stays at No. 3, Kevin O'Connor projects that they'll select UConn shot-blocker Donovan Clingan, but notes the Rockets and Grizzlies have discussed a trade for three. 

Clippers: Jerry West, NBA legend, Clippers executive and the likely inspiration for the league's logo, died at 86 this week. The last Finals MVP from the losing side, West finally scored his first NBA title in 1972 before winning eight as an executive with the Lakers and Warriors. West also played at West Virginia in college, staying connected to the school and his home state through his son Jonnie, who played there around the same time as Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla remembered a phone call from West during his junior year that encapsulated West's personality, drive and temper. West made 10 All-NBA First Teams and earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019. He also made four NBA All-Defensive teams. 

"He essentially told me that I was an F-up and was ruining an opportunity to be great at something and let me have it for 10-15 minutes," Mazzulla remembered. "He had a tough way of showing that he loved you."

Lakers: UConn head coach Dan Hurley rejected the Lakers' six-year, $70 million offer in a massive public blow to the team's image, sending them scrambling back to original candidates JJ Redick and James Borrego after Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Hurley had become the team's top focus. Hurley explained that he was conflicted over the deal and ultimately chose to return to Connecticut for the rare opportunity to win three championships in a row, only done by John Wooden's UCLA team. He also said that the conversations with LA weren't simply a leverage play to make more money on his UConn contract, Hurley signing a six-year extension after the first of back-to-back championships last summer. Redick did his first Lakers interview this week, but reportedly has received questions from those around him about whether he would actually want the job. LA worked out draft prospect Bronny James this week. They select No. 17 overall, and are reportedly eyeing a move up. 

Miami: Shams Charania said that his sense is Heat star Jimmy Butler doesn't want to leave Miami as an important summer contract negotiation looms that could become a difficult one given his age, health and Miami's recent disappointing regular seasons. His former 76ers have eyed him, among other stars, entering this summer if Butler and the Heat fail to reach a long-term deal, while Pat Riley made pointed, critical comments about Butler's trash-talking after sitting out Miami's first-round loss to the Celtics with a knee injury. Reports have pointed toward Butler and Miami not being on the same page, but Butler has become the face of the franchise late in his career while the Heat have benefited from two NBA Finals runs during his tenure. It's unsurprising that a reunion is the most likely outcome. Anthony Chiang reported that Butler is expected to seek a two-year, $113 million extension. 

Milwaukee: Doc Rivers returned to Bill Simmons' podcast with commentary on how Damian Lillard didn't enter Bucks training camp in the best shape, his former Celtics on the verge of winning the first championship since his departure and more thoughts on his transition to Milwaukee's head role midway through the season. Rivers also looked back on the difficulty of dealing with Philadelphia fans during his 76ers tenure. Rivers' commentary reflected some past excuses for his early postseason exits, and while the most glaring was available here with Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury, he added to it by discussing a conversation he had with Lillard about his conditioning. Rivers reportedly brought former Bucks assistant Darvin Ham back to Milwaukee and hired ex-Cavs assistant Greg Buckner as he tries to reshape his staff. 

“I didn’t even realize that Dame was traded two or three days before training camp," Rivers said. "We were at dinner, and he said, ‘Coach, I didn’t work out all summer. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve not worked out. I was so scared of getting injured working out.’ He knew he was gonna get traded. So, he said, ‘You know, I did some light running. I did some shooting with no one in the gym. But I didn’t go at all.’ He said, ‘I’m out of shape,’ and he was honest about it, and that’s one of the reasons you love him because he is honest. He said, ‘This is the worst shape I’ve ever been in.'”

Minnesota: Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves reportedly share mutual interest in a contract extension, another layer to a stunning turnaround from the blockbuster trade that looked like one of the worst in league history after the first season and flipped into Gobert winning defensive player of the year for a west finals squad. A Gobert extension could be difficult to negotiate, the big man just turning 31 and carrying super max eligibility due to his DPOY status. That's what allowed him to sign a five-year, $205 million deal with Utah that carried over to Minnesota in the trade. He's signed for $43.8 million this year before he'll decide on a $46.7 million player option at 33, when his hypothetical extension would begin. A full super max would pay Gobert over $300 million, though reports of the Wolves' prospective ownership group looking to cut costs and Gobert previously taking less than the full super max would point toward a much lower figure than that being the actual agreement. 

New York: Fred Katz reported the Knicks will not have strong interest in acquiring Donovan Mitchell after standing on the doorstep of doing so when the Cavaliers traded for him two years ago. Jalen Brunson's emergence as the team's ball dominant star is a major reason, but New York already stood in a difficult position to make the best offer for Mitchell if he becomes available after trading a significant haul for OG Anunoby in February. The Knicks have to sign Anunoby, decide Julius Randle's future and will inevitably grow more expensive into next year. New York also has the option to pursue Mitchell in free agency next July, likely their preference over gutting the roster to trade for him now. Mitchell, a New York native, has admitted he thought he was on his way to the Knicks in 2022 before Cleveland emerged out of nowhere to acquire him. He hasn't professed a desire to be traded publicly, and even an extension in the modern NBA landscape doesn't necessarily tie him to the Cavs long-term -- but would force suitors to trade for him at a massive price. The Knicks hired long-time NBA assistant Maurice Cheeks to Tom Thibodeau's staff. He was with the Chicago Bulls since 2020. 

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid appeared at Game 4 of the Finals to do a TV appearance with ESPN, lamenting the Celtics potentially winning the title, he hates them, he said, and joining Paul George on the set, who's long been rumored to leave the Clippers for the 76ers if he can LA can't agree to a new contract ahead of free agency. Embiid glanced at George as he said Philadelphia will aim to upgrade the roster this offseason. Police in Arizona arrested Sixers guard Cam Payne for refusing to provide a truthful name and false report to law enforcement in connection with a disturbance call. Payne becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

Sacramento: Michael Scotto reported that Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter will likely be available for trades this summer as the Kings look to reshape the roster. Malik Monk will also become a highly sought-after free agent following a season where he would've won sixth man of the year easily if not for an injury late in the season. The Kings pick No. 13 overall in this month's draft, another potentially helpful piece to use in a trade. 

San Antonio: Buzz about them trading up in the draft makes sense since they own the No. 4 and No. 8 overall picks on the board, and have urgency to improve the roster as quickly as possible next to Victor Wembanyama. That also demands that they nail the pick they ultimately make. Kevin O'Connor has them taking G-League Ignite prospect Mata Buzelis, a versatile wing who's only 19, and Nikola Topic, an 18-year-old Serbian point guard prospect who recently suffered a partial ACL tear. There is risk to the Spurs going younger, while taking two players helps minimize the risk of missing on one. 

Utah: Another team to watch that could jump up the draft board, since they own the No. 10, 29th and 32nd overall picks. They've worked out top prospects, including Colorado guard Cody Williams, the brother of Thunder star Jalen Williams, along with Tidjane Salaun, Zach Edey and more. 

Washington: Will face the Heat in Mexico City in November, something to watch as Adam Silver refuses to rule out expansion beyond the US and Canada, most recently mentioning it before the NBA Finals. The league will likely address expansion, long rumored to happen in Seattle and Las Vegas, once the new television deal is done. With hope waning that TNT can retain NBA rights beyond 2024-25, basketball and TV legend Charles Barkley announced his retirement this week following next season -- likely ending the legendary Inside the NBA studio show after 35 years.