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Charania: Celtics ‘primary focus’ this summer is trading these three lineup regulars
"Listen, if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything."
Something’s got to give for Brad Stevens and the Celtics when it comes to shedding payroll and getting Boston below the restrictive second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax threshold.
But even though Boston is reportedly leaving no stone unturned when it comes to reshuffling this roster in 2025 and beyond, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania noted Wednesday that the Celtics have a clear preference when it comes to trade chips on their roster.
“The other big-ticket item I think this offseason is the Celtics and what are they going to do,” Charania said Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show”. “And the primary focus, from my understanding, with the Celtics’ offseason has been Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, their trade markets. Now, are teams making big offers and calling about Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? 100%. The Celtics prefer not to trade them, from my understanding.
“But, listen, if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything, and I think they’re going to get offers on the three guys that they’re focused on. They’re going to get offers potentially on Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. And I think between now and the draft and free agency, they’re going to evaluate what makes sense from a value perspective and that’s where they’re going to move.”
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The NBA offseason has yet to really ramp up with the NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder still underway. But all five of Brown, White, Porzingis, Holiday, and Hauser have already found their names mentioned in several trade rumors.
Porzingis’ expiring contract and health — along with Holiday’s age and Hauser’s standing as a bench player — make them more expendable assets for Boston.
But the Celtics’ reported willingness to listen in on impact players in their prime in Brown and White signals that Boston could be looking at a more sizable shakeup — especially ahead of a season where Jayson Tatum could be on the mend all winter while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
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But the Celtics could also opt to dump a player or two to ease those luxury-tax penalties while also retaining a majority of its star players for the long haul.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix noted this week that Boston might want to retain Porzinigs moving forward — especially at a lower annual value than the $30.7 million he currently commands.
“I’ve also heard, ‘We’re going to nibble around the fringes,’” Mannix said during a recent episode of the KOC show. “If you want Jrue Holiday, you can have him. Porzingis, I think he is available, but they’d like to get Porzingis back long-term at a lower price point on his next deal.”
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