The CBA comes for everybody. The Boston Celtics knew what they were getting into when they traded for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday last summer. And when they handed both players extensions within the span of the year, they did so with full knowledge that their spending habits could get them into trouble. The Karl-Anthony Towns trade between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves is the perfect example of said trouble.
Minnesota paid their way to a Western Conference finals appearance. That’s not slight. Just the truth. They gave massive extensions to Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards after trading for Rudy Gobert, who was on a max contract of his own. And just a few months after one of their best seasons in franchise history, they traded Towns.
There’s no guarantee that the Celtics fall into the same fate, but at this point, it seems more likely than not.
Unfortunately, the end could be near for this Celtics group
All is well in Boston right now. They just won Banner 18, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser signed new extensions, and training camp is going well. But fast forward to a year from now, and there could be a lot more to talk about.
Boston is slated to have the most expensive payroll in NBA history next season. When accounting for tax spending, they are going to pay around $500 million. Spending got so bad that it reportedly caused a rift between Wyc and Irv Grousbeck, leading to the sale of the team.
I watched all offseason as the #NBA’s most expensive teams mostly tried to stand pat with rosters that won’t be sustainable under the new rules. MIN finally broke with the 1st major trade to address the new apron/tax. It’s possible in 1 year Boston will have to do the same.
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) September 28, 2024
One season from now, the Celtics are going to have five players making over $25 million, including four making over $30 million and two eclipsing the $50 million mark. That’s simply not sustainable.
Even if ownership showed a willingness to pay, which is unlikely, considering the Celtics’ current ownership uncertainty, the CBA penalties would put the team in a potentially disastrous position moving forward.
Towns getting traded to the Knicks after finally finding playoff success following nine years in Minnesota is a huge indicator of how scared teams are of the penalties of the CBA. And the Celtics could be next on the chopping block.
Perhaps there’s a world where the Celtics find a way to stave off the inevitable for a couple of seasons. Maybe Kristaps Porzingis will take a massive discount on his next contract, or they cheap out on the fringes, but a harsh reality is coming.
In the next couple of years, it’s a real possibility that one of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, White, Jrue Holiday, or Porzingis is traded.
Towns was the first domino to fall in the NBA’s new CBA-driven world. One of Boston’s recent champions could be next. And it could happen as soon as next summer.