At this year's trade deadline, the Boston Celtics executed a series of transactions that allowed them to get under the luxury tax. They haven't just saved $325 million since last season ended. The franchise has now gained the ability to receive more salary than they send out in a trade. The organization also shed certain spending restrictions, and can sign anyone on the buyout market. Regarding the latter, keep in mind that they are carrying out a precise formula to remain under the tax.
Finishing this league year below that threshold would also put them in a position to reset the repeater tax. That would require the Celtics to stay under that line again next season. If they do so, it would make it easier to subsequently make a significant swing to add a high-impact player to complement Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at a time when that might matter most.
"The directive was always just see what we can do with the team," said Brad Stevens, the team's president of basketball operations, the day after the trade deadline. "After the Vuc [Nikola Vucevic] trade, then, you know, we saw that as an opportunity. But next year, if there's something that we look at and we say, we gotta take advantage of it right now, then we're going to try to take advantage of it; Bill's been really clear with that. I think we saw, again, the tax, for me, was just, there was an opportunity with two days left before the trade deadline that we didn't necessarily think would be there."
One of the players Boston parted with to help get below the luxury tax was Chris Boucher. The C's sent him to the Utah Jazz in a trade where they acquired John Tonje. The Jazz then waived Boucher. He reportedly has a specific team in mind as he sorts out the next step in his career.
Chris Boucher is eying a Celtics conference rival
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the ninth-year veteran is targeting a return to the Toronto Raptors.
"Many league personnel have indicated that Boucher holds a desire to return to the Raptors," reports Siegel. "Whether this will happen, especially after the Raptors traded for Trayce Jackson-Davis at the deadline, is the bigger question at hand."
As Siegel notes, the franchise residing north of the border is $900,000 from the luxury tax line and could bring Boucher aboard for the rest of the season without exceeding that threshold based on what would be a near $650,000 prorated contract.
The 33-year-old averaged 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes of floor time across nine appearances with the Celtics. Perhaps he will soon join a team that's three spots behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.
Boucher, who spent part of his youth growing up in Montreal, played for the Raptors for seven seasons. That includes being a member of their 2018-19 NBA title team. While it didn't work out for him in Boston, Toronto has an open roster spot and the ability to bring him back to the franchise that has meant the most to his career.