NBA Notebook: Brad Stevens transparent as Celtics begin uncertain roster reset

LAS VEGAS -- Brad Stevens held court again at Celtics Summer League practice on Saturday, mostly addressing questions about the rookies, sophomores and third-year wing Jordan Walsh's development. He also addressed the impending ownership change, expected to become official in the coming days when the NBA Board of Governors votes on it in Las Vegas. Bill Chisholm became an active participant in the Celtics' retooling this summer, which Stevens and other cap experts in recent weeks have stressed came as a result of the punitive restrictions imposed by the NBA's new second apron. 

"Wyc is obviously still the governor and has been, obviously, very, very active," Stevens said. "But Bill has been in pretty much every meeting or Zoom that we've had with the governors and ownership and everything else, so he's been great. I'm a big fan. He's got a great way about him. I think he's very smart. He loves the Celtics. He didn't take over at the easiest of times when you think about obviously the second apron issues that we talked about the other day and Tatum's injury and everything else, but he's so level-headed and he's got such a good way about him. I'm really excited to have him around." 

As the Celtics reshape their roster this summer and fans await the first full year under the new ownership to assess how they spend, provide input and shape the team as it transitions from one Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum era into another. The talent loss this summer resembles a lineup capable of reaching the playoffs, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, Luke Kornet and Al Horford likely to follow in a line of departures that Stevens, to his credit, has made sure to remain available and transparent over as a shocked fan base watches a championship team get dismantled only 13 months after riding in the duck boats together. Luxury tax and Tatum's Achilles tear undoubtedly played a role in the path they and their free agents chose. But Stevens indicated last week that ownership, for the moment, prioritized retaining long-term assets over avoiding the luxury tax. 

That's the next question facing the Celtics that could carry through to the trade deadline in February. A team's luxury tax status and bill don't come due until the end of the season, so Boston could start the year with this group, see how it goes and make additional moves that reduce what projects to be an $86 million tax bill with this roster as it stands. Stevens already massively reduced that burden by roughly $200 million, but the Celtics' repeater tax status makes spending heavily challenging until Boston sheds that label. That requires avoiding the tax for consecutive seasons, which would require difficult decisions to offload payroll. The Celtics have reportedly had interest in re-trading Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang's expiring contracts following their acquisitions in the Holiday and Porziņģis deals. Boston, of course, also lost the two second-round picks initially acquired in the Holiday trade due to concerns over Holiday's physical on the Portland side, which the Oregonian first reported. 

"There's value in those things, obviously, and you weigh those values, and the people at the top have to ultimately make those decisions," Stevens said while addressing the tax. "But it's been pretty clear, and Bill has been pretty clear from the get-go, that he wants to make sure that we're prioritizing basketball assets and the ability to retool this thing at the highest level that we can. And, again, the most important acquisition that we're going to be able to make in the next couple of years is getting Tatum out of the boot right? Like, we're not beating that one. So that's going to be the best thing that can happen for us. But everything else – we have most of our first round picks still ... we have a lot of seconds now, so we have some flexibility there, and we don't want to take away our chance to use those to become the best that we can be over the next few years." 

Stevens and team cap strategist Mike Zarren, who also addressed their outlook during draft week, have stressed that creating flexibility will allow the Celtics to get back on their feet once Tatum returns. Boston projects to have $29 million in room beneath the first apron next summer, which would allow the Celtics to execute sign-and-trades, take back more money in a trade, use the full mid-level exception and begin the process of unfreezing the team's 2032 pick -- a second apron penalty that prevents a team from trading its draft pick seven years down the line. The Celtics would also have $41.7 million in space beneath the second apron due to offloading Holiday's three-year deal and Simons and Niang's contracts expiring then. That likely played some role in leaving the center position vacant of significant NBA experience and long-term salary, since it would leave the team with more tools to effectively fill it next summer. 

The Celtics still have some limitations, however, since their efforts to shed salary left them with few medium-sized contracts that often become the key to acquiring talent through trades. Boston has two super max players in Brown and Tatum, a variety of younger and depth players who make relatively little and the Simons, Niang and Sam Hauser contracts that clearly couldn't return the value that the Celtics look for following their trades earlier this offseason. The Celtics could still turn Simons into several players who make less money. They have 14 standard roster players with at least partial guarantees, and waiving JD Davison's non-guarantee would open the 15th spot to begin the year while sliding Boston under the second apron line that they're currently about $300,000 above. There's work to do, but Stevens indicated that more or less, this could be the team that starts the year. 

"We're gonna find out, right? I think we had an incredible luxury with Luke and Neemi as our third and fourth centers," Stevens said when asked about the new-look center position. "I think they were both much better than that. And I think Luke will have an amazing impact in San Antonio, and I think Neemi has a great chance to be impactful here. We've always liked Luca Garza from afar, and we think that he has the real physicality that's necessary on both ends of the floor, especially on the glass, in addition to his ability to score. And then, we got Amari, who's down there now [at Summer League practice], and we think that he has a high upside. And then you can flex other guys into that center role." 

Not many would have predicted that Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Amari Williams would round out the center rotation for the Celtics in 2026. That's their reality though, and they haven't sent signals indicating otherwise. Stevens evidently alerted Holiday and Porziņģis that they could be dealt, left an open door for players concerned about their standing and fans entered the offseason well aware about what changes could take place and why. The team will face scrutiny regarding how they build up what it just broke down. It'll also inevitably face challenges navigating its first uncertain season since 2021, a first-round exit team that at least began that season with more talent than this one.

Brown has long expressed interest in leading a team. Payton Pritchard may get the opportunity to start every night in Holiday's place after winning Sixth Man of the Year, and assertively painted an optimistic picture about the team's future in his exit interview. Starting may prove a big step up for Hauser, but his shooting, defense and size at $10 million per season for the next four were all wise for the team to hang onto. The big man situation will become the challenge, particularly as Brown, Pritchard and Derrick White utilize them for screens and other functions to run the defense. A new defensive quarterback will need to emerge with Tatum, Holiday and the team's versatile bigs who played in the Celtics' system for years all depart. Joe Mazzulla, who called the offseason happily miserable in a recent podcast appearance, will also need to adapt to new personnel. 

Celtics Summer League coach Matt Reynolds revealed that the Vegas team would experiment with some changes in play style that could reach training camp for the active roster. Pace became the big one in the opener against Memphis, while the Celtics' defense deployed more full-court pressure, something the team backed off in 2025 as its turnover rate remained low. Finding more cutting opportunities for young wings Hugo González, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman could help their developments as they find their shots, and catch Boston's offense up to league-wide trends set best in Cleveland, where they became the top offense in the league by embracing cutting. It's another public way Stevens has indicated that better days could be around the corner for the Boston Celtics, even if next year proves extremely difficult. 

"I don't know if it's necessarily experimenting just for the sake of experimenting. I think it's more this is this is the team you have, you play to the strengths of your team and you figure that out," Stevens said. "You're not afraid to try things, obviously, but we'll see who's all available and when you do, you figure out how to play to the best chance to give yourself a chance to win." 

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

Atlanta: Kristaps Porziņģis spoke for the first time since the Celtics traded him to the Hawks, expressing excitement about joining a team that he believes has been floating near contention status and is overlooked entering this season. Porziņģis plans on playing in EuroBasket next month with Latvia, and has said he's feeling better following an illness that derailed his final season with the Celtics earlier this year. Brad Stevens said that he made it clear to Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday that both players could be traded due to the second apron. Porziņģis also touted his post efficiency and floor-spacing skills alongside his rim protection as traits that could raise Atlanta's ceiling this season. 

"We expected that there were going to be changes in my whole team," he told AJC. "And also (I) jumped in the middle of the season, and it’s obviously tough, and just having this time off and being able to recharge a bit and get ready for a big summer, and then going into next year, it’s, honestly, it’s the perfect scenario." 

Boston: Hugo González scored 12 points with four assists and five rebounds alongside two blocks in his Celtics debut, helping lead a win over a good Grizzlies summer team. He came away from the game gassed, Stevens said, and González has admitted that acclimating to the NBA game so quickly after his Spanish season ended has been hard. Stevens added that González will rest one of Sunday or Monday's games against the Knicks or Heat. Amari Williams made all three shots in his first game, Max Shulga played significant minutes at point in a point guard by committee game that also included González and Baylor Scheierman in a 2-for-14 opener for the latter. Jordan Walsh played well to begin his third Summer League, shooting 3-for-6 from three and playing in control. Free agent Charles Bassey joined Boston's summer roster last minute and posted 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown spoke to CelticsBlog about his excitement to lead Boston next year, appreciating fan support through hard times and the sacrifices he's made in the past. 

“I disagree with a lot of things,” he said. “I’ve had to change roles, styles. I’ve had to do things that other players of my talent just haven’t had to do, and I’ve been okay with them, because I’ve always been a team guy. I feel like sometimes that gets taken for granted.”

Charlotte: Liam McNeely, the Hornets' first-round pick from UConn, has shown out as one of Summer League's stronger performers in Vegas by averaging 18.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.5 SPG on 42.9% three-point shooting. The Hornets will move forward with a youth movement built around McNeeley, top pick Kon Knueppel, who scored five points on 1-for-8 shooting in his debut, Ryan Kalkbrenner and second-rounder Sion James. The Hornets reportedly fell short on a Chris Paul pursuit earlier this summer. 

Chicago: Top Bulls pick Noa Essengue bounced back from five points and seven turnovers in his summer debut to score 12 points with 10 rebounds in a follow-up performance on Saturday. He left the game with a right quad contusion that sidelined him for the rest of the night after 19 minutes. He told reporters that he's alright and will receive treatment. Matas Buzelis is one of Summer League's leading scorers so far despite shooting poorly through two games (28.6% FG). Josh Giddey is in Las Vegas and hasn't been visible at Chicago games, a possible sign that extension talks with the team haven't gone well. 

Dallas: Cooper Flagg made his long-awaited Summer League debut and scored 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, a performance he called one of the worst of his life. Yet Flagg played with force, missed some good looks and embraced a battle with Bronny James in a game that James capped by missing a game-winner. Earlier, they attacked each other up and down the floor, with Flagg getting the best of James with a turnaround after James fouled him on one possession. The crowd in Las Vegas lived up to the moment too, as Flagg is expected to become one of the more immediately transformative players in recent NBA Draft history. He bounced back with 31 points on 10-for-21 shooting on Saturday. Flagg is huge for a scoring wing, with length that projects well toward defensive disruptiveness. His power driving to the basket stands out most. He'll have some devastating dunks.

Denver: Jonas Valančiūnas is expected to join the Nuggets this season after Greek club Panathinaikos heavily pursued the big man who Denver acquired in a trade as Nikola Jokić's best backup since taking over Denver's frontcourt. The second season of Valančiūnas' contract remains non-guaranteed following the trade, leaving the door open for Valančiūnas to turn to Europe next summer. The resolution likely closes the door on the chance that Al Horford could pivot toward Denver as their backup center next year. 

Golden State: Still awaiting a resolution in Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency before what's viewed as inevitable that Al Horford joins the front court alongside Draymond Green. As Kuminga's options dwindle with free agency winding down, he'll have the option to sign the qualifying offer or a short-term deal to remain with the Warriors and enter free agency again in the near future. That's the most likely scenario at this point following reported sign-and-trade negotiations with other teams that fell flat. The Heat, for example, appear comfortable entering the year with their current roster while Golden State declined the Kings' offer. Look out for the Wizards as a possible destination. 

Houston: Fred VanVleet will lead the NBA Player's Association after his election to replace outgoing president CJ McCollum, whose term expired. The Board of Player Representatives receives four years after election, while vice presidents, including Jaylen Brown and Grant Williams, expect to remain part of the union as discussions over the state of the game, including the early returns on the new collective bargaining agreement's impact on the sustainability of NBA rosters, continue. McCollum will become an advisor.

Indiana/Milwaukee: Myles Turner spoke for the first time since his surprising decision to depart the Pacers for a Bucks offer that Rick Carlisle revealed that Indiana didn't have the opportunity to match. The Bucks waived Damian Lillard to clear cap space and offer Turner four years, $108.9 million to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Turner explained that getting close to the championship with the Pacers last year drove his desire to put himself in that position again. The Pacers will move on with Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman. Milwaukee is expected to add Cole Anthony shortly after the Grizzlies and Anthony agreed to a buyout late last week. Doc Rivers downplayed any idea that Antetokounmpo explored an exit from the Bucks earlier this offseason, explaining that they were in communication in the days following the season. 

"Giannis came to me the day after the season and we were talking about next season already," Rivers said in Las Vegas. "So, there's far more talk outside of Milwaukee than there is inside of Milwaukee. Giannis loves Milwaukee. We love Giannis, and it's been a great relationship. We've had some of our young guys in Greece already playing with him. I think we had six or seven guys go down [to Greece], several coaches. So, we are communicating a lot. It's about next year, and it's about winning."

Clippers/Miami: Still in the mix for a Chris Paul reunion while Bradley Beal is widely expected to land with the Clippers if he and the Suns agree on a contract buyout, which is necessary to waive-and-stretch his contract. The Clippers traded Norman Powell in a three-team trade early last week and acquired John Collins, shaking up their frontcourt alongside Brook Lopez. Lopez reportedly pivoted from the Lakers to Clippers after uncertainty about LeBron James' future in LA emerged. The Clippers reportedly grew concerned about their ability to re-sign Powell long-term and maintain a sustainable roster. Powell heads to the Heat after a career year, Miami badly in need another perimeter scorer. Erik Spoelstra signaled that the Heat want to see how their roster competes at the start of next season, setting up an Andrew Wiggins return after he was in trade rumors.

Lakers: LeBron James' future with the Lakers remains uncertain after the team reportedly didn't consult him on the Luka Dončić trade, sale of the team to Mark Walter or offer him a long-term contract beyond his player option this season. James appeared at Summer League this weekend and his next move after opting into the final year of his Lakers deal recently became the biggest point of intrigue this offseason. Despite LA seemingly viewing James as an expiring contract as they pivot toward the Dončić era, there doesn't appear to be serious trade suitors for the aging superstar and a buyout makes little sense for the Lakers unless James openly expresses a desire to move on. ESPN profiled the James to Dončić transition following the Rich Paul statement that shook up the team's offseason and future. James will reportedly closely monitor the Lakers' next moves. 

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career," Paul said. 

New Orleans: Signed defensive star Herb Jones to a three-year, $68 million extension after a season where he struggled with injuries like most of his teammates. He's now signed for five-years, $97 million after making First Team All-Defense in 2024 and finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. 

New York: Introduced Mike Brown as their next head coach, who said he'll embrace the team's high expectations next season. After reaching the East finals for the first time in 25 years, the Knicks will become favorites alongside the Cavaliers to win the conference following Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum's Achilles tears that likely take those teams out of the mix. He stayed away from describing how he'll alter the team's approach from what Tom Thibodeau did last season, which set up a highly successful finish compared to their recent history, alongside disappointment that the team didn't go further. Brown said he'll remain open and honest with the players and build trust as part of his acclimation. 

"Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do. My expectations are high," he said. "This is the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. It's iconic. ... I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it."

Oklahoma City: Signed Chet Holmgren to a five-year, maximum extension that could reach $250 million if he reaches All-NBA this season. Jalen Williams also earned a rookie max that could reach $287 million, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's new four-year, $285 million supermax setting up a $150.2 million payroll in 2027-28 between those three players alone when Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort hit free agency. That sets the Thunder up for grueling decisions in two years, much like the ones the Celtics just faced, but also secures them two excellent additional opportunities to repeat or potentially win three championships in a row following their 2025 title. The extensions set a sharp contrast to the Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden era, which ended after Oklahoma City's 2012 Finals loss when Harden and the team couldn't agree to a long-term deal. 

Philadelphia: Trying to come to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes as the Sixers' offseason winds down. Philadelphia re-signed Kyle Lowry, Trendon Watford and Eric Gordon last week, securing some backcourt depth while Grimes looks to cash in on his late-season emergence following his trade from Dallas.  Like Jonathan Kuminga, Grimes could bet on himself with the qualifying offer and while little movement has happened so far in negotiations, The Athletic expects a resolution for both sides as the team grows cautiously optimistic about its chances to compete in the east even given their massive injury concerns. VJ Edgecombe remains day-to-day at Summer League with a thumb injury. 

“I do think it’s open in the East,” Daryl Morey said in Las Vegas. “I do think that’s a fair characterization. I do, obviously, think that we weren’t the only team that’s unfortunately gone through a lot of tough injuries. That’s opened some things up. But we’re going to have to prove that we’re with those upper-echelon teams in the East. But we do feel like if all things come together, we can be right there, and we’ve given ourselves a lot of flexibility to upgrade the team during the year, if things are going as well as we hope.”

Phoenix: There's still a sense around the league that Bradley Beal and the Suns will agree to terms on a buyout that'll allow the guard to test free agency. It's a continued conundrum for the Suns, however, since Beal is healthy, unlike Damian Lillard, and could theoretically be traded down the line despite Beal owning a no-trade clause. A waive-and-stretch would alter Phoenix' ability to build a team for five years or more, especially when Devin Booker begins his new contract extension, worth an astronomical two years, $145 million through 2029-30, securing the highest average annual value ever in an NBA extension ($72.5M). Beal is owed two years, $110.8 million and needs to give back some money to allow the Suns to legally waive-and-stretch him, since no more than 15% of the cap can be stretched in a season. 

Portland: All aboard the Hansen Yang hype train. The No. 16 overall pick, who many expected to land in the second round between 30-50 overall, has captivated the crowds at Summer League with his passing, youthful demeanor and overwhelming size that have earned him comparisons to Nikola Jokić. The pick that immediately drew criticism is now drawing some of the most intrigue in the class alongside Cooper Flagg. Yang averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.0 APG and 2.0 BPG on 46.7% shooting through his first two games. 

San Antonio: No. 2 pick Dylan Harper made his debut against Cooper Flagg and the Mavs after missing the Spurs' opener with a groin injury, securing a win with 16 points in 20 minutes. Victor Wembanyama watched on the sideline, fired up as Harper finished the second quarter with a block and highlight and-one. Harper finished shooting 5-for-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from three with six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Carter Bryant, his fellow rookie, continued to shine on defense despite shooting 0-for-7. 

Toronto: Brandon Ingram, who did not play after his acquisition from the Pelicans in February with an ankle injury, is pain-free, according to Darko Rajakovich. Ingram received clearance for contact this month after multiple ankle injuries derailed his past two seasons. Ingram agreed to a three-year, $120 million extension with the Raptors after Toronto traded Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk to the Pelicans for him. He received a PRP injection and was shut down for the season in April, and is on track to take part in forthcoming team scrimmages. 

Utah: So much for no plans to tank. The Jazz have offloaded Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and John Collins for next to no return this offseason, setting up an extremely difficult 2025-26 season for a team that's struggled to progress past its rebuild phase. Utah received Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 second-round pick from the Clippers in the Collins trade with Miami and LA, inevitably setting up Love to test free agency at some point. 

Washington: Traded Kelly Olynyk to the Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick after acquiring Olynyk from the Pelicans in the CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole swap. The Knicks are reportedly monitoring Marcus Smart's availability if the Wizards decide to free him from the final year of his contract at some point.