1 Mistake the Boston Celtics must avoid at all costs this summer

The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship by constantly improving their roster. They made five conference finals in seven years before Brad Stevens pulled off three bold trades that pushed them to a title. It was a dominant campaign by the Celtics, and the franchise is primed to stay in contention over the next half-decade.

The Celtics have just 12 players under contract for the 2024-25 season and are already over the new second tax apron. Keeping this roster together will be expensive and come with restrictions. Trading is extremely difficult, and Boston does not get access to their mid-level exception. Improving their roster gets more challenging, but the Celtics have the talent to stay in contention.

Adrian Wojnarowski reported they plan to extend Jayson Tatum and Derrick White this offseason. That will lock in their starting five for multiple years and make them favorites to repeat as champions. There is only one thing capable of changing that.

The Celtics cannot trade away a key piece to save money

Ownership must be willing to spend for Boston to keep winning. Jayson Tatum will soon sign the biggest contract in NBA history. The price is only going up. Will Wyc Grousbeck and his group keep paying the tab? Keeping it together for the chance to repeat appears likely, but things can change quickly when talking about massive dollar figures.

Boston needs to extend Derrick White. He is entering the final year of his contract and deserves a raise. All he has done since arriving in Beantown is help the Celtics win a championship, make two NBA Finals, and three conference finals in three years. White is one of the best role players in the league, but the Celtics will have to pay him more to keep him around.

Does ownership get hesitant about paying Kristaps Porzingis after an injury-riddled postseason? The Unicorn’s ability to space the floor, protect the rim, and post up changed Boston’s gameplan The Celtics were virtually unbeatable with KP on the floor. Paying him $30 million per season given his injury history can make one’s stomach a bit queasy.

If the Boston Celtics keep their top six together, they will be right back in the title picture in 2025. It won’t be cheap and the expenses will continue to climb. Ownership must keep writing the checks and giving Brad Stevens the power to add pieces. Making that happen means being title contenders for years to come.