ESPN insider Shams Charania said the Boston Celtics could make drastic changes this offseason, regardless of whether they’ll successfully defend their NBA championship.
After winning Banner No. 18 last year, the Boston Celtics handed massive extensions to their core players, including Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser, raising their salary bill to over $500 million.
“Right now, Boston is focused on winning a championship. That is the number one focus: repeating. But, I can tell you, the rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come to the Celtics from their roster this offseason,” Charania said on the Pat McAfee Show. “Sources have been telling me for weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the offseason. This iteration just is not going to be sustainable for this team.
“And no one around the organization from players to staffers would be surprised if there are changes coming to this roster because when you think about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there are restrictions that come with trades, restrictions that come with freezing of draft picks, that’s all stuff that they’re dealing with right now,” he concluded.
Boston Celtics prepare for second-round matchup vs. New York Knicks
The Boston Celtics have drawn the New York Knicks as their second-round opponents after the latter eliminated the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 yesterday.
Boston fans will fancy their chances against their Atlantic Division rivals since the team swept them 4-0 in the 2024-25 regular season.
“We’ll be doing a lot of work in the next couple days. They’re the defending champions so we know we’re going to have to be at our best,” New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said about the Boston Celtics after Game 6.
