It took less than a week for Paul George to help the Celtics out

The Jaylen Brown trade has been a tough pill to swallow for Boston Celtics fans. That might not even do it justice, to be honest. It’s probably more comparable to trying to swallow an anvil.

Nonetheless, the fanbase may have gotten its first silver lining to the deal on Monday, when ESPN’s Bobby Marks, yes, that Bobby Marks, reported that Paul George waived his $3.9 million trade kicker to go to Boston.

Obviously, the initial reaction has to be a sarcastic cheer. “Hooray, ownership gets to pay $3.9 million less this season, we’re all saved!”

Yes and no.

Is it minor?

Yes. But, it could help Boston clear some important financial hurdles. After the reported signings of Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, the Cs sat $3.5 million above the luxury tax line. Simple math would tell you that George’s trade kicker being waived gets them extremely close to that threshold.

Now, the pathway for the Celtics to duck the tax is simple. All they have to do is waive Dalano Banton’s non-guaranteed $2.8 million salary.

Why does the tax matter?

As easy as it is to say, “what do I care? It’s not my money,” there is real importance to cutting costs. If the Cs manage to stay below the $200.4 million luxury-tax line this season, then they’ll have successfully reset their repeater tax penalties. That process, by the way, takes two consecutive seasons of avoiding overspending.

The 2026-27 repeater rates are as follows:

• 0-100 percent of tax bracket amount ($187.9M-$193.4M total salary): $ 3.00 for $1 over.
• 100-200 percent ($193.4M-$198.9M): $3.25 for $1
• 200-300 percent ($198.9M-$204.4M): $5:50 for $1
• 400 percent and higher ($204.4M or more): $6.75 plus $0.50 for each additional 100 percent.

So, as of today, the Celtics would be paying $3 for every $1 that they spend over that luxury tax line. It’s not nearly as steep as what they paid two seasons ago, but it's still harsher than what a non-repeater team would pay.

By resetting the tax, ownership can more comfortably commit to spending big again when the time is right. They’ll have three above-tax seasons before the penalties re-emerge.

How far does Paul George's generosity span?

George’s decision to waive his trade kicker also open the door for more optimism. What if his willingness to take pay cuts doesn’t stop there?

The 36-year-old has a $56 million player option for the 2027-28 season. He could very easily pick it up and cash in on a big pay day. I’d say that that should remain the expectation. But there’s always an outside chance that he could opt out and re-sign on a more cost-effective deal for Boston.

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