The Celtics look set to get something they haven’t had in a while: real breathing room.
After years of salary-cap gymnastics, Boston appears headed for a clean reset of the repeater tax, with the roster now tracking to stay just below the luxury tax line for the 2026-27 season. That would make it the second straight year the team is out of the tax, wiping away the apron-related penalties that came with the franchise’s more expensive recent roster builds.
For Celtics fans who have grown numb to all the CBA jargon - aprons, frozen picks, luxury taxes, all of it - this is the part that matters. The painful cost-cutting that sent out so many good players was the price of doing business for a team trying to keep competing at a high level. And if Boston holds course, that sacrifice is about to pay off.
The key is what comes next. If the Celtics don’t add salary between now and the end of the year, they’ll head into next summer with a clean slate and the freedom to spend however Brad Stevens and his staff choose.
No apron restrictions. No tax panic.
No need to work every move like a loophole hunt.
That matters because the bill is about to rise anyway. Extensions for Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh are set to kick in, most of the other key players are due raises, and there’s also the big Paul George player option to deal with. By then, the picture should be clearer on a new deal for Payton Pritchard and maybe even Derrick White.
Even if Boston doesn’t add another piece, the numbers are already pointing to a pricey 2027-28. The roster is projected to cost just over $219 million, and with 12 players, that would leave the Celtics about $6 million over the tax line, even with a recent cap projection that came in higher than expected.
So the short version is this: the front office should finally be done playing defense against the tax. Stevens and company won’t need to squeeze every dollar or chase every workaround just to stay under the line. They should be able to build the roster without that kind of pressure hanging over every move.
Of course, there’s still one caveat. Boston could always make another move this season.
The team could use part of the traded player exception from Anfernee Simons and push back over the tax. Maybe this whole thing gets complicated again.
But probably not.
In Other News...
Celtics Defense Might Have A New Edge Fans Will Love
The Celtics have spent the last few seasons building a defense that usually ranks among the leagues better units, but the missing ingredient has been the sort of disruptive play that changes games in a hurry. Blocks, steals, deflections and charges drawn have not always matched the groups overall reputation, even as Boston has stayed firmly in the top tier on that end of the floor.
This offseason pointed toward a push to sharpen that part of the identity, with additions such as Mitchell Robinson and Paul George signaling a desire to create more havoc and turn more possessions into stops. Boston also has several holdover players who could raise their defensive impact this season, and if that happens, the Celtics may end up with something even more dangerous than a solid defense: a well-rounded one with very few obvious soft spots. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Added A New Name To Watch In Camp
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For Boston, the move adds a player who will be fighting for either an NBA roster spot or a two-way opening, which is exactly the kind of low-risk competition teams like to create in September. The Celtics have room to evaluate another backcourt option, and Carter now gets a real chance to make his case when camp opens and the roster battles begin. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Training Camp Suddenly Has One Lineup Battle Fans Will Watch
With Jaylen Brown sidelined for the moment, training camp is already putting a little extra weight on Bostons center decisions. The Celtics brought in Mitchell Robinson to help shore up the middle alongside Neemias Queta, and the early conversation has drifted quickly from depth to the more interesting question of who opens games when the season begins.
Queta isnt trying to force the issue, instead leaving the call to Joe Mazzulla as the staff weighs fit, familiarity and the practical trade-offs that come with each option. Robinsons free throw shooting is part of the discussion, while Quetas existing comfort in the system gives him a different kind of edge, which is why this battle could linger well beyond the first few days of camp. [Read more 🡒]