The way the Celtics have maneuvered this offseason, and for the last couple of years, really, it’s reasonable to think that they are resetting the deck to go star-hunting again next summer. They’re now flush with assets, they’ll have been out of the luxury tax for two straight seasons, and they’ll have a massive expiring contract in Paul George.
It makes sense that they’d cash in some chips and try to land a true superstar or a pair of stars to slot in next to Jayson Tatum for the rest of his prime years. And that may well be the plan. But it doesn’t have to be.
Celtics may not have the appetite to go star-hunting
There’s also a world where Brad Stevens and the Celtics are done with these short spending windows and constant reshuffling and want to build a sustained winner that makes up for a lack of star power with depth and continuity. I think the Celtics like this roster a lot, and if it ages as well as they expect, there may not be any big fireworks on the horizon after all.
Stevens and company seem to think that this team can contend for a title with Tatum as the main star and complementary play around him that fits Joe Mazzulla’s style. By continuing to extend their own players, as they have with Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh this offseason, they can keep their team together at a very manageable cost.
Things will get more expensive next season when some extensions kick in, but they can afford to pay it. Payton Pritchard may take that star leap and get another team-friendly extension that helps keep this together. Queta and Robinson could be a perfect center tandem on good, long-term money.
The wings like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and others may age gracefully and become high-impact role players on cheap deals. Even Paul George could fit in like a glove and agree to stay in the fold for the rest of his career on a less expensive contract. Derrick White could be looking at the same scenario in a few years as well.
And with what we've seen from the Celtics' developmental team, there's no reason to think the likes of Chris Cenac, Dillon Mitchell, Ron Harper Jr., and others won't be making an impact in Boston before too long.
We just saw what happens when the Celtics had 70% of the salary cap invested in two superstars, trading away Brown for much-needed 'optionality'. One mega contract and a bunch of smaller ones seem like an easier way to build and the path that the Celtics clearly chose. Why should we think that next year they'll be in a rush to jump back into the same position with a different, highly paid star that isn't JB?
Celtics roster is built to last
Outside of what’s going on in Philadelphia, the age of building superteams is over. Teams are building versatile rosters around one or two stars and lots of depth that can play a lot of styles. With recent parity in the league, more than ever, the goal is to set yourself up to have a chance and hope things work out in the playoffs.
The Celtics had those chances for years, and it did work out with the championship in 2024. The current roster certainly doesn’t look like a juggernaut, but it can be a team that wins a lot of games for a lot of years and gives itself a lot of chances at the prize come playoff time.Â
If things don’t work out, there are tweaks to be made and missing pieces that can be added for sure. But we shouldn’t just assume that the Celtics are going to push in their chips for the next big-money superstar that comes available on the ever-evolving NBA trade market.
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