The Boston Celtics have been forced to blow up their roster this offseason, trading away both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday due to financial constraints. Not only that, but the Celtics have also allowed both Al Horford and Luke Kornet to walk via free agency.
Boston may not be completely done subtracting pieces, either. Anfernee Simons — whom the Celtics acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Holiday deal — could be on the move, too, and Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has gone as far to say that even Jaylen Brown and Derrick White may not be totally safe.
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While Hughes doesn’t necessarily state that Boston could trade one of Brown or White this offseason, he isn’t so sure that both players are guaranteed to still be around once Jayson Tatum returns from his torn Achilles, which will probably be during the 2026-27 campaign.
“Don’t just assume that’s set in stone,” Hughes wrote. “Tatum may not be himself until 2027-28, at which point he, Brown and White will be earning a combined $176 million. With the tax line projected around $215 million that season, it’s hard to see how the Celtics could build anything close to a contender-worthy supporting cast around a much older, potentially more broken-down core.”
Hughes goes on to say that Boston may be better served moving one of Brown or White to open up some more financial flexibility.
“An Anfernee Simons trade to further reduce this year’s tax bill seems logical, but the Celtics should be considering much more drastic restructuring plans,” Hughes continued.
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To be fair, Tatum could very well rediscover his old form midway through 2026-27, and even by then, it’s not like Boston’s core will be ancient. Tatum just turned 27 and Brown is currently 28. Yes, White is already 31, so perhaps trading him would be a decent move to make, but the Celtics could easily return to being contenders within a couple of years. They play in the East, after all.
All of that being said, knowing how aggressive Boston has been historically, it would not be surprising if the C’s did opt to swing a another blockbuster trade sometime in the near future.
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