NBA Offseason & WNBA Season Mailbox Part 1: Boston Celtics Repeating and Contracts
Part 1: Boston Celtics Questions
Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
As the NBA offseason moves forward and the WNBA season is approaching All-Star Break for the Olympics, I am opening up my newsletter for questions from people. I had people submit questions on topics they wanted to be answered, and I’ll give my best to answer them with my thoughts/research. So here we go:
From clifftumetel via Threads:
“Really curious to hear your thoughts on if the Celtics can repeat as champs. So far in the past three, four years? Teams weren't able to go back-to-back.”
The last time a team repeated as NBA champions was the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The Warriors ended up winning again in 2022, a four-year gap. This was a result of the physical toll it took on the team. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green all missed significant time over those four seasons due to injury.
Another problem that can arise is a contending team coming up with a huge trade or free agency signing that can push them over the hump to knock off the defending champions (look at the Timberwolves trading for Rudy Gobert and knocking out the Nuggets). A lot of people weren’t sure about that move, but the combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert with the emergence of Anthony Edwards was enough to stop Denver from going on their repeat tour.
Also, contract negotiations play a big part in that. Sometimes a player on a championship team improves his value during the playoff run and ends up getting a new deal during the offseason. That could really change the dynamics of the team trying to repeat. Bruce Brown in 2022 signed a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. After the Nuggets won the championship, Brown opted out of his contract with his player option and signed a new contract of two-years, $45 million with the Indiana Pacers.
So this ties into the next question from airswish_ on Instagram:
“How Boston paying them players lol”
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White’s new contracts give the Celtics a super expensive payroll. But the core of Tatum, White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis are locked on contract until 2025-26. Those five will cost the Celtics close to $200 million. Tatum and White’s extensions don’t go into effect until 2025-26. It is likely that Boston will have shed some money off their roster. Al Horford will probably retire at the end of the 2024-25 season. Payton Pritchard was very vocal over some seasons about how he wanted to be traded, Boston could potentially find a suitor to take on his contract.
If Boston is willing to keep going with their expensive contract options to keep the core together, I believe they will repeat it. The only team I think can compete with them in the East are the Knicks with the acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. With those two defensive wings, they can give Tatum and Brown some problems. The Philadelphia 76ers also have got better with the move in acquiring Paul George but as of right now, I do not feel that is enough to knock off Boston. The Dallas Mavericks made some great moves as well, getting Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall. Klay is not the same player from his All-Star years with the Warriors, but I do believe he brings a new dynamic to Jason Kidd’s offensive scheme, catch-and-shooting. It’s a lot different when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are driving then kicking to one of the greatest shooter of all-time. If they can get back to the Finals, they will have a chance to win it all.
Stay tuned for part 2 next week!