The Boston Celtics have already made a habit of targeting players who once ruined their playoff nights, and Caleb Martin fits right into that pattern.
Paul George and Mitchell Robinson weren’t brought in just because they look clean on paper next to Mazzulla Ball. They also happen to be two of the guys who helped swing the last two playoff series Boston lost. That alone tells you what kind of offseason this has become for Brad Stevens: if you can’t beat them, maybe you bring them in.
Martin would be a different kind of addition, but the same idea. Three years ago, he was the player who flattened Boston in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, when Miami needed someone outside of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to step up.
Martin answered in a way Celtics fans probably still don’t want to revisit. He averaged 19.3 points on 60.2% shooting from the field and nearly 49% from three in that series, production that never came close to becoming his norm before or after.
That’s exactly why his name makes sense in this conversation. Stevens has already shown he’s willing to add players with Celtics-killer résumés, and Martin would keep the theme alive.
The catch is that Boston doesn’t need him. Not really.
His numbers have dropped sharply since that 2023 series, and the Celtics already have enough players at his spot who fit what they want to do. Bringing him in would also crowd the path for Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr.
So if Boston does chase Martin, there’s really one reason to do it: keep him away from someone else.
His breakout against the Celtics looks like the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle run that doesn’t repeat itself, but the memory of it is probably enough to make Boston think twice. Miami and Erik Spoelstra have a way of turning the right role player into a problem at the exact wrong time, and the Celtics may want to eliminate that possibility before it exists again.
There’s also a path for the money to work. Boston is hard-capped at the first tax apron, but Martin’s $10 million salary fits into Anfernee Simons’ $27 million trade exception, though only just. Dallas also doesn’t seem to have much use for him, at least not in the same way they did for Anthony Davis.
Stevens has generally been sharp in his work as an executive, even if the Jaylen Brown trade is going to test that reputation. If Boston brings in Martin just to make sure he never gets another chance to do what he once did to the Celtics, it would be a strange move - but maybe one of the smarter ones they could make.
In Other News...
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Jaylen Browns offseason exit already left Celtics fans with plenty to chew on, and now his latest public comments have only made the split feel more personal. In a recent Twitch live stream, Brown said he is motivated to win with the 76ers and spoke about feeling disrespected during the trade process, a sharp reminder that his departure was not just a basketball decision but an emotional one too.
For Boston, the timing stings because the 76ers have loaded up as a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, with LeBron James also joining the mix. Brown is set to be part of that push now, which means the Celtics are not just watching a former cornerstone move on - they are staring at a contender that will be in the same playoff conversation all season. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Roster Plans Just Got Tougher After A Surprising NCAA Twist
John Tonjes path through the NBAs summer circuit took an unexpected turn when he signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers after spending time with the Celtics summer league group. For Boston, the move lands in the middle of a larger roster conversation, with two-way spots already part of the equation and names like Dillon Mitchell and Milos Uzan in the mix as the team sorts out its next steps.
An NCAA ruling added another layer to the picture by giving Mitchell a chance to weigh a return to college, which could alter how Boston thinks about filling those developmental slots. The Celtics were already working through uncertainty on the back end of the roster, and Tonjes departure only sharpens the question of how much flexibility remains if they want to keep their options open. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walsh Faces A New Celtics Test After Jaylen Brown Exit
Jordan Walsh is stepping into a different kind of opportunity now that Jaylen Brown is gone, and the Celtics are expecting more from the young wing as they reshape the roster around him. Walsh, who recently signed a three-year contract extension, spent his rookie season learning under Brown and has made clear how much that relationship meant while he adjusted to life in the league.
Browns trade to the Philadelphia 76ers leaves Walsh with both a void and a bigger lane to prove he belongs in Bostons long-term plans. He has acknowledged how difficult the departure is, but his focus is on development and on taking advantage of the added responsibility that comes with a larger role. [Read more 🡒]