The Boston Celtics’ Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis trades were made official on Monday afternoon, making one thing certain: The deals will not be expanded, and if the Celtics want to reroute the guys they got back within the next 60 days, they cannot aggregate their salaries.
This isn’t the end of the world, but it limits the amount of flexibility they have with their upcoming trades. Boston still has to get under the second apron this summer, as they squeaked back over the mark after signing Luka Garza and Josh Minott. But with the Porzingis and Holiday trades going through, they don’t have as much wiggle room.
If they want to trade Anfernee Simons or Georges Niang within the next couple of months, they can’t combine their contracts with any other players’ in the deal.
Why does this hinder the Celtics?
Had the Celtics found a way to bring more teams on board in the deal, they could have potentially shed extra salary while also sending out multiple contracts in the deal.
Now, they will be limited to trading Simons and Niang in separate trades that can only include one player. The same goes for guys like Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, or anyone else on the roster. They cannot be traded alongside Simons or Niang for 60 days.
Boston can still find ways to move Simons and Niang, but they will have to be the only ones being sent out in the deal.
What do Celtics think of Holiday and Porzingis trades?
On the day that the trades went official, the Celtics sent out a press release that included Brad Stevens’ thoughts on the moves. First, he shared his thoughts on Holiday and Porzingis’ time in Boston:
“We are so thankful for KP and Jrue and the time we had together in Boston. They were great Celtics whose impact on our organization went well beyond the court. They were integral parts of two great teams, including one which brought us all a new banner. Their impact on this organization will last a long time, and we look forward to celebrating them when they return to the Garden this season.”
Stevens also gave a statement about Simons and Niang joining the Celtics:
“Anfernee is a really good young player who has continuously improved in his seven years in the NBA. Georges is no stranger to Boston and has continuously been a winning player over the course of his career. We are excited to add both of them to the team.”