NBA Notebook: Opportunity for Celtics to run it back is rare in the NBA

Derrick White, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard sat on barber chairs atop a podium at Gillette last month receiving ceremonial shaves from the Boston company. As a moderator asked the three questions, including their summer plans, someone from the crowd of employees and guests in the back shouted re-sign toward White.

Horford turned to White, sitting to his right, and yelled yeah with a smile on his face. One week later -- White agreed to a four-year extension, likely one below what he would’ve received as a free agent in one year, to remain with the Celtics team he won a championship with long-term. 

The Celtics also re-signed Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. to league minimum deals this week to open the free agency period. Along with the White extension and Neemias Queta’s new contract, Boston guaranteed that 14 of the 15 roster players from its championship run return for 2024-25. Going further out — nine players are now signed through 2025-26 and a 10th could join them if the Celtics and Sam Hauser agree to an extension next week. 

The process also created some long-term uncertainty as the combination of salary and repeater penalty luxury tax in 2026 projects to combine for close to $500 million — an unprecedented and likely unsustainable number. That coincides with a forthcoming ownership change that makes sense in line with those looming commitments. Yet like Brad Stevens, Wyc Grousbeck's ownership group will remain in place for 2025, as will the champion players, and in a rare commitment they’ve all given each other a rare opportunity. The chance to become prohibitive favorites to repeat as champions — and do it with nearly the same entire team.

That's a rarity in NBA history and will likely remain one with the new luxury tax and apron penalties the league enacted in the new CBA, the Celtics were able to avert them in a unique way by doing their work before they went into effect. Some of it came through foresight, trading for and extending Kristaps Porziņģis, while some required timing and luck in the case of Jrue Holiday. 

"Last year was the time to trade," Stevens said. "That was the time we could aggregate and that's a big part of this. Now that you're over the second apron, you can't aggregate in trades. In both of our major trades last season, that was a part of it. So this kicking in, it'll be interesting to see how it affects the league. Will there be a lot less trades? That'll be interesting to follow and look back and study over the next couple of years." 

The core that won the Nuggets their 2023 championship continued departing when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed a new contract with the Magic this week. The 2022 champion Warriors lost Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. immediately, along with Nemanja Bjelica, while the Draymond Green punch on Jordan Poole spelled the beginning of the end for the latter as that core quickly spiraled after beating the Celtics in those Finals. PJ Tucker left the Bucks after their championship, while Donte DiVincenzo, who was injured early during their run then traded next season for Serge Ibaka, eventually proved to be an important loss. The 2020 Lakers lost Rajon Rondo then infamously dealt Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma for Russell Westbrook. Kawhi Leonard left the 2019 Raptors immediately after securing them a championship in the most famous recent example of cores not lasting. 

It's not clear if the Celtics' will fully sustain, Porziņģis' health the biggest immediate question before the ownership transition question and luxury tax implications in 2026 follow. Stevens took the right approach by having all their deals on the books to either run it back in full one more time and see what happens from there, or to pivot if necessary. While trading multiple salaries for one bigger one is impossible for expensive teams now, dealing bigger ones for multiple young players or picks will become the way teams address ballooning salary sheets when necessary. The Celtics, Timberwolves and Suns, who have embraced the largest long-term payrolls in the league as the Warriors, Nets and Clippers began scaling back, will address that future first. 

First, the Celtics have positioned themselves to potentially win back-to-back championships, with a three-peat banking on continued development deeper on the roster, more savvy moves in the draft or veteran free agency, along with Al Horford miraculously maintaining his level of play as he approaches 40. All that is still a better bet than the one Boston had to make in 2009, with a roster aging more collectively, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell and James Posey gone, along with Kevin Garnett's injury. The 2010 Celtics, who came within one game of winning banner 18, only further saw losses when the team traded Kendrick Perkins midway through next season. 

Paul Piece has noted the losses following 2008 as monumental in their failure to repeat while the Perkins trade's emotional impact on the team became obvious to everyone watching. Stevens could've similarly tinkered with the roster with the long term in mind, or tried to save a few dollars in extension conversations, but he's shown to be far more aggressive than Danny Ainge in maintaining roster continuity.

"Everybody on our roster we loved having here," Stevens said before free agency. "We'll continue to work on filling our roster for the upcoming season, but there's no doubt we'll really value continuity in that." 

Going further back, the last champion who truly got to run it back in full was the 2018 Warriors, who similarly dominated that postseason as they did the previous year with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry before Durant's injury thwarted a three-peat. Only Ian Clark fell from the Warriors' 10-man rotation between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, even David West, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee returned, a roster similarly built by unique and rare circumstances as this year's Celtics team. The Cavs mostly ran back their 2016 title team in 2017, with Deron Williams in place of Matthew Dellavedova, but the emergence of the Warriors shattered their chance of repeating. There has been no such consolidation of talent this offseason to rival Boston, despite strong attempts by New York and Philadelphia so far, with teams instead offloading talent and money to set up their future books. 

The Celtics also have the chance to nearly run back the roster in full aside from Baylor Scheierman taking one of Oshae Brissett or Svi Mykhailiuk's spots. While it's unclear if Mykhailiuk would fit into the 15th spot given Scheierman's arrival and tax implications, the Boston Globe has reported that the door is open for Brissett as he explores his options. He struggled from the three-point line in his first Celtics season and Boston didn't play small often, briefly utilizing him for injury and matchup reasons in that role during the east finals, but he became an impactful rebounder and defender in his minutes along with a beloved teammate. The report added he's exploring free agency options and has back out of Team Canada to focus on them.

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

Boston: Wyc Grousbeck and the Celtics announced that the majority team owner since 2002 will place the team for sale in a process expected to last through 2028. Managing partner Steph Pagliuca announced he'll be among the bidders, hoping to build on what he's accomplished alongside Grousbeck for the entirety of their run. The team release initially stated that the entire ownership group would sell, but Adam Himmelsbach clarified that's procedural. The Boston Celtics were worth $4.7 billion prior to the 2024 championship season, according to Forbes. Whoever buys the team will assume a payroll plus tax slated to approach $500 million in 2026, with Jayson Tatum signing a $315 million extension, Derrick White agreeing to a four-year, $126 million deal and a Sam Hauser extension possible next week. Boston also retained Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Neemias Queta on league minimum contracts. The team now has one open standard contract left as Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk remain free agents. Brissett backed out of Team Canada's Olympic training camp to focus on free agency. 

Charlotte: Hornets legend and former Celtics point guard Kemba Walker announced his retirement from basketball after playing in France last season. He will join Charles Lee's first Charlotte coaching staff working in player development. Walker, 34, played 11 NBA seasons, mostly with the Hornets where he reached the playoffs twice and became arguably the young franchise's greatest player as they transition from the Bobcats to the Hornets under Michael Jordan's ownership. Knee issues began there while he logged massive minutes and worsened when he left Charlotte for Boston in 2019, initially helping the Celtics move on from the failed Kyrie Irving era with an all-star start to the 2020 season. He ultimately dealt with knee pain into both the 2020 and 2021 playoffs before new Celtics president Brad Stevens traded him to the Thunder for Al Horford as his first move. Oklahoma City waived him before he joined the Knicks for a short stint in 2022 and the Mavericks for his final one in 2023. In 2011, Walker and UConn beat Stevens' Butler Bulldogs to secure one of the most famous college basketball championships ever. 

Miles Bridges signed a three-year, $75 million deal to remain with Charlotte. The Hornets also waived Davis Bertans, who would've made $16 million. 

Chicago: DeMar DeRozan is expected to depart the Bulls after three seasons, with Chicago and Sacramento engaged in sign-and-trade talks. The Heat and Lakers have also shown interest in the master of the mid-range, though they face more difficult paths to acquiring him. Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Chicago prefers not to take back significant salary in the trade. Sacramento is reportedly open to moving Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes in trades. As for Zach LaVine, still without a strong suitor after the Bulls aimed to move him last year, he's more than likely back and received a defense from agent Rich Paul. 

“I want to make this clean and clear: This whole idea that Zach has been anything but professional in this situation is false. This guy has played hurt. He has represented the franchise with class. A lot has taken place during his time with the Bulls and he’s taken the high road every time,” Paul said. “Does every player get frustrated at times? Yes. But Zach has been the ultimate professional and deserves better."

Dallas: Klay Thompson, a four-time champion, Warriors icon and one of the greatest shooters of all-time, joined the Mavericks through a sign-and-trade after he and Golden State agreed to part ways after 12 seasons. Thompson, 34, now joins Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić after a season where he still shot over 39% from three at volume, but had notable downturns like scoring 0 points in the Warriors' play-in tournament loss to the Kings. The Mavs also signed Naji Marshall, a defensive option at the wing after Derrick Jones Jr. departed for the Clippers. Thompson received three years, $50 million. Dončić's Slovenian national team was eliminated from Olympic contention with a loss to Greece on Saturday. 

Denver: Lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando in free agency one summer after Bruce Brown walked, two important wings from their championship run in 2023 now gone with nothing in return. The Nuggets face luxury tax and second apron concerns that prevented them from extending themselves for either player, and they never made a move at the last trade deadline to solidify their depth. Younger players they hoped would step into those roles like Peyton Watson and Christian Braun struggled to do so into the playoffs, and they're relying on a rookie and De'Andre Jordan to spell Nikola Jokić's minutes. It's difficult to believe in Denver's roster as it stands -- and even a Russell Westbrook addition wouldn't solve their issues. 

Detroit: After Trajan Langdon began his Pistons tenure by trading Quentin Grimes for Tim Hardaway Jr., Langdon used the bulk of the team's cap space to bring Tobias Harris back on a two-year, $52 million deal. Harris previously played for the Pistons from 2016-18 before stints with the Clippers, through the Blake Griffin trade, then the 76ers. Detroit continued to search for perimeter shooting by signing Bucks free agent Malik Beasley to a one-year, $6 million deal. JB Bickerstaff, the former Cavaliers head coach who was fired after going 170-159 across five seasons, will coach the Pistons. 

Golden State: Quickly moved to replace Klay Thompson by signing 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton, Wolves wing Kyle Anderson and executing a sign-and-trade with the Sixers to acquire sharpshooter Buddy Hield. The Warriors hope, despite the blow of losing a franchise icon, that those three will collectively contribute more than Thompson had through his post-injury inconsistency. The team's success also requires that Andrew Wiggins bounces back from the struggles he faced over the past two years, Jonathan Kuminga takes another step at the wing and Steph Curry shines as bright as ever. Golden State might not be done either. After unsuccessfully pursuing Paul George, they've reportedly made a substantial offer for Lauri Markkanen. 

Indiana: Followed their re-signing of Pascal Siakam (4yr, $189.5M) with a new deal for Obi Toppin (4yr, $60M) and a flier on James Wiseman, the former No. 2 overall pick, who struggled to begin his career with the Warriors and Pistons. Part of his difficulty acclimating to the league stemmed from limited playing time, and that won't change significantly with the Pacers, who have Siakam, Isaiah Jackson and Myles Turner in the front court, but floor-running, athletic and sometimes erratic players have found a home with Indiana after struggling elsewhere. Toppin and Aaron Nesmith are success stories. Wiseman will have to adapt to the fast movement in the half court though, as the Pacers flow through layers of offensive sets like the Warriors.

Clippers: Lost Paul George in a stunning end to a year-long saga where the door always seemed open to both sides settling on a new deal for George to remain in LA and for the Clippers to stay in contention. George signed a four-year, $212 million deal with Philadelphia that included a player option in the fourth year, a measure LA never seemed willing to extend to. In his place, the Clippers kept James Harden, signed Derrick Jones Jr., brought back Nic Batum after trading him to Philadelphia last year and signed Kevin Porter Jr., who missed all of last season playing overseas after pleading guilty to reckless assault and second-degree harassment. The NBA has not suspended him to this point. PJ Tucker returned, picking up his $11.5 million player option. Mo Bamba signed after spending last year in Philadelphia. Kris Dunn joined LA as well. 

Lakers: LeBron James signed a two-year, $104 million deal to remain with the Lakers in free agency while son Bronny James agreed to a four-year, $7.9 million contract that's fully guaranteed outside of a fourth-year team option. LA mostly ran back its roster otherwise, reportedly no longer interested in Hawks star Trae Young and haven't made outside additions beyond their draft picks. Offering player options to Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish and Christian Wood that all three picked up further limited the Lakers' flexibility this offseason. JJ Redick added former head coaches Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan to his staff. 

Memphis: Marcus Smart spoke for the first time since his former Celtics team won the championship, appearing on Theo Pinson's podcast and saying that he was screaming for his old teammates and not disappointed he wasn't part of it like many would've speculated. 

Miami: Lost Caleb Martin, who left for the 76ers in free agency despite the Heat offering more than Philadelphia. Multiple reports stated that Miami would've paid him $65 million before he landed a $32 million deal with the Sixers. Miami began trying to supplement its depth around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo by signing Alec Burks, while Kevin Love and Josh Richardson returned to the Heat on a new deal and player option, respectively. The Heat are reportedly among the teams keeping an eye on Lauri Markkanen's availability. Haywood Highsmith remains an unrestricted free agent. 

Milwaukee: Focused on smaller additions in free agency while Brook Lopez remains on the roster for now despite him being rumored as the player the Bucks would trade to solidify their depth. Point guard Delon Wright arrived from Miami after splitting last year between the Wizards and Heat, bringing some shooting and secondary playmaking to the backcourt. Forward Taurean Prince signed, leaving the Lakers and reuniting with Darvin Ham, who's now an assistant on Doc Rivers' staff.

New York: Should be able to supplement Mitchell Robinson at center now despite losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency due to a gift from the Nets, who took on Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite in a sign-and-trade alongside Bojan Bogdanovic. Brooklyn could have held out on acquiring New York guard Miles McBride. Instead, the Knicks will be hard-capped at the second apron, rather than the first, since they matched Mikal Bridges dollar-for-dollar. The first apron is triggered by taking on more money than you send out in a trade. The second apron goes into effect when you trade multiple players for one, which is now the case for New York, maintaining roughly $17.8 million in room below it.

Oklahoma City: Signed Isaiah Hartenstein (3yr, $87M) to become their physically imposing center option alongside the skill, finesse and slighter stature that Chet Holmgren offers at the position. The Thunder badly needed rebounding more than anything during their second-round loss to the Mavericks, and Oklahoma City never complemented Holmgren with another big who could log playoff minutes. Hartenstein dominated his with New York, providing scoring, offensive rebounding and some playmaking that showed him worthy of a large contract and role here. It'll be intriguing how they utilize him, whether in double big rotations alongside Holmgren or staggering them to maintain the team's speed and perimeter versatility. Holmgren, despite his frame, seemed to fare best at the five as well. 

Orlando: Finally struck in free agency by adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a two-time champion wing who's still one of the better 3-and-D players in the league. What the signing symbolizes means as much as anything else, that the Magic can now pull free agents from other contending teams and have a young core that veterans want to be part of. That further showed to be the case when Gary Harris re-signed on a two-year, $15 million contract. Orlando still doesn't look like a major player in the east yet, but if they see more improvement from Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, who agreed to a five-year, $224 million extension, the Magic do play a style that's bothered Boston in the recent past. Moe Wagner re-signed (2yr, $22M).

Philadelphia: Signed Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract, a ginormous win for Daryl Morey after he effectively punted on replacing James Harden in 2023 by taking back players on one-year deals in the Clippers trade. George joins Caleb Martin in the front, who surprisingly joined Philadelphia on Saturday despite reportedly receiving a larger offer from the Heat. The 76ers waived center Paul Reed ($7.7M) ahead of his contract guarantee date to finalize the Martin signing. Eric Gordon also agreed to a minimum deal as the team tries to build around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George. Andre Drummond signed a two-year, $10 million deal to back up Embiid, a role he filled during the 2021-22 season. 

Phoenix: Quietly had a decent offseason given their roster-building limitations, but that was the case last year as well and the Suns nearly fell into the play-in tournament before getting swept in the first round. Royce O'Neale, Bol Bol and Damion Lee all stayed on new contracts while Mason Plumlee signed for the minimum to help the Suns' center depth behind Jusuf Nurkic. Monté Morris will bring some badly needed secondary point guard play to a team that had next to nothing at the position last year and leaned on its three stars to do all that work. Their draft was good. They're better. 

Sacramento: DeMar DeRozan would be a weird fit here given how often De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis possess the basketball. Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter would be real losses for this group too, though if they see their play diminishing in years to come and DeRozan could carry their scoring into second units, it's hard to say no to talent upgrades. Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen make more sense here. 

San Antonio: DeMar DeRozan would be intriguing here, given his past success with the Spurs, but if the Bulls want to re-route salary from the trade to a third team, San Antonio could also use Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter. The Spurs got off to a good start by signing Chris Paul to enhance the roster around Victor Wembanyama, but they need more to approach the playoff mix in the west. It looks like they have something planned after trading Devonté Graham ($12.7M) to the Hornets with a second-round pick. The Spurs have also been among the teams connected to Lauri Markkanen. 

Toronto: Former Raptor Jontay Porter will reportedly plead guilty to charges in connection with the gambling scandal that left him banned for life from the NBA. Porter is under investigation by both American and Canadian authorities, according to documents, with at least one charge imminent in the US. The NBA found that Porter purposefully limited his participation in two games last season to influence prop bets and bet on NBA games himself.  

Utah: Enough suitors and momentum appears to point toward the Jazz trading Lauri Markkanen this offseason after he emerged as a near-All NBA player upon arrival from Cleveland in the 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade. Markkanen has one season left on his deal at $18 million, further adding to the urgency to get a trade done now as the Jazz continue their rebuild. Marc Stein reported that at least one team pursuing Markkanen is confident he'll be traded eventually, even if Utah decides to extend his contract this summer to maintain flexibility. The Warriors, Kings, Spurs, Thunder and Heat are all potential landing spots for him. Golden State made a substantial offer, according to Tony Jones, but the Jazz aren't motivated to deal yet.