The Boston Celtics have been furiously making moves all summer to avoid what would have been a record-setting $500 million payroll in combined luxury tax and salary commitments. <\/p>\n
With six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum on the shelf recovering from an Achilles tendon tear for most or all of the 2025-26 season, the Celtics have been in cost-cutting mode.<\/p>\n
Boston has already ditched a pair of championship starters it only first acquired two years ago, All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis, in trades. <\/p>\n
More news: Celtics Big Man Takes World By Storm With Dominant EuroBasket Performance<\/a><\/p>\n The Celtics have already flipped both assets they received from their three-team Porzingis deal, a future second-round draft pick and stretch four Georges Niang, in exchange for a trade exception and two-way player RJ Luis Jr. Boston general manager Brad Stevens also offloaded an additional second-round pick in the Luis deal.<\/p>\n Stevens also seems poised to offload the player he acquired in the Holiday deal to the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring guard Anfernee Simons, although for now Simons remains rostered.<\/p>\n Third-string center Luke Kornet inked a free agent deal with the San Antonio Spurs, while backup power forward\/center Al Horford appears poised to sign with the Golden State Warriors if they ever resolve power forward Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency.<\/p>\n Stevens also cut point guard JD Davison, while signing big men Chris Boucher and Luka Garza and forward Josh Minott. <\/p>\n More news: Celtics\u2019 Jayson Tatum Sends Internet Into Frenzy With New Look<\/a><\/p>\n All these moves have at least gotten Boston beneath the league’s brutal second luxury tax apron, and will let the team possibly avoid the repeater tax a bit longer. But the Celtics still have some real estate left before they can dip below the first tax apron.<\/p>\n