It was an abrupt and unsettling ending for the 2025-26 Boston Celtics. After squandering a 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers, it feels like little is off the table to atone for a first-round exit.
As the organization builds towards banner 19, they are currently $13.2 million underneath the luxury tax. Resetting the repeater tax would create significant flexibility and make it easier to keep the current championship window open as long as possible.
Boston can also create more wiggle room by declining team options on Dalano Banton and Max Shulga. That would give the franchise $18.1 million to spend before reaching the luxury tax threshold.
As the Celtics explore their options, Collin Sexton is among the most intriguing free agents.
It's not a particularly strong free-agent class. However, at the guard position, a potential Anfernee Simons reunion and signing Sexton are among the top pathways to bolstering Boston's backcourt.
Sexton would address the Celtics' need to get faster and add another shot creator. It would also allow Payton Pritchard to return to the starting lineup. There's no better way to insert more quickness into the first unit.
The former split this season between the Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls. More opportunities in the "Windy City" allowed him to raise his production ahead of free agency. Sexton averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals across the 2025-26 campaign. He knocked down 40.1 percent of the 4.1 threes he hoisted.
For his career, the former eighth overall pick is an 18.3 points per game scorer, who's dishing out 3.6 assists and swiping nearly 1.0 steals per contest. He's also converting on 38.9 percent of the 3.9 shots he's launching from behind the arc.
Sexton has shot over 40 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in all but two of his eight years in the Association. Last season, he averaged 2.5 attempts per tilt and buried 44.5 percent of them. It highlights how he'd fit well alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, especially when helping boost Boston's offense when one of its star wings is on the bench.
The former Alabama star also produced 6.6 points in the paint per game, accounting for 42.5 percent of his scoring, per NBA.com. His ability to attack downhill would be a welcome addition. As would his capacity to create turnovers on the other side of the ball. Given his high-revving motor, there's reason to believe the Celtics could potentially bring a bit more out of the six-foot-three Sexton, via his on-ball pressure.
What would it cost to sign Collin Sexton?
The unrestricted free agent was under contract for $17.7 million this season. At 27, he may exceed that figure. However, he's coming off a bit of a dip in offensive production. Furthermore, this more punitive collective bargaining agreement places a premium on teams properly allocating assets. There aren't many places he fits as a starter. Other potential destinations don't have the need or the cap space. He's a top name among the guards on the open market, but his salary may be in for a slight reduction.
The Celtics have two valuable tools at their disposal. One is the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, valued at just over $15 million. Keep in mind that if they use it, they're hard-capped at the first apron. They could also utilize their $27.7 million traded-player exception, created when they sent Anfernee Simons to the Bulls. They have until February to apply that.
One way to do so is through a sign-and-trade with Chicago. However, if that's their only path to acquiring Sexton, they might opt against it. If an individual with zero playoff experience wants to contend for a championship for a slight reduction in salary, one that may be unavoidable, he would give Boston a scoring jolt off the bench that could be a difference-maker in how long the Celtics last next postseason.
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