The Celtics have a lot of questions to answer this summer, but the situation could really be a lot more dire. All things considered, they won 56 games this year and finished second in the East despite not having Jayson Tatum until March. The playoffs didn’t end well, but they got under the luxury tax, got steady improvement and breakouts all over the roster, and saw Tatum return and look excellent.
Now, they may need some upgrades to get back to top-tier contender status, but they’ve got the tools at their disposal to do so. They’ve got plenty of tradeable salary, multiple traded player exceptions, the midlevel exception and bi-annual exceptions to play with in free agency, and plenty of payroll flexibility.
For some added context, one team in a much worse position this offseason is the Denver Nuggets. Like the Celtics, they crashed out in the first round of the playoffs, but unlike Boston, they have very little to feel good about. The team clearly isn’t good enough around an aging core, the roster is very expensive, and they have very few assets left at their disposal.
At this point, the Nuggets almost have to make big moves around Nikola Jokic, and for starters, they have to shed some money to bring back Peyton Watson in free agency. That means dumping a contract to a team that can absorb money without paying up the nose in assets or making the team discernibly worse.
Johnson for Hauser swap could make sense for both sides
One solution that would make a lot of sense for all parties would be for the Nuggets to trade Cam Johnson into the Celtics’ $27.8 million TPE from Anfernee Simons, while taking back Sam Hauser. This would immediately save Denver over $12 million that they could reinvest elsewhere while turning Cam into an elite floor-spacer who should thrive in a Jokic offense. Boston would have to send back roughly $7 million in salary, so Hauser's $10.8 million deal makes perfect sense here.
The Celtics would be adding a good player and an even better asset while maintaining flexibility as long as they make other moves to avoid hitting a hard cap. But, Boston would add a player in Johnson who struggled last season, but broke out in Brooklyn, scoring almost 19 points per game in the 2024-25 season, showing he’s a legitimate threat from deep (career 39.6% three-point shooter) and somebody who can put the ball on the floor and make some plays, even running occasional offense.
At 6’8”, you wouldn’t be giving up any size, and while he’s certainly not a great defender, he’s not a liability either. Plus, Johnson would be in the final year of his deal, so suddenly, the Celtics would have another great asset to play with. Johnson’s $23+ million of expiring money would be an excellent piece to flip in another trade for a big star.
All of a sudden, the Celtics could package Johnson and Derrick White and get to $53+ million in matching salary, more than any of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard will make next season, and right within shouting distance of one Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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