The Boston Celtics don’t need to rush into another move just because the transaction market has quieted down.
That’s the case even if the urge to keep tinkering is real. After the flurry of offseason business, there’s still a natural itch to see one more change. But the Celtics are in a strong enough spot that forcing something now would make little sense.
Boston is sitting just under the luxury tax line with 14 players on the roster, and the depth chart is crowded enough that every spot looks like it will be contested. In other words, this isn’t a team scrambling to fill holes. It’s a team that can afford to watch the pieces settle before deciding what, if anything, still needs to be done.
That’s why the smarter play is patience. Let training camp unfold.
Let preseason sort out the rotation. Let the regular season start before making any final judgments about what this roster really is.
There’s precedent for that kind of wait-and-see approach. When last season opened, Chris Boucher and Josh Minott looked like they were going to be major parts of the rotation.
That didn’t end up being the full story, and it’s a reminder that early expectations can change fast. Boston doesn’t have to lock itself into a decision before it has any real evidence.
The Celtics also have the kind of flexibility that makes waiting easier. They’ve built up a surplus of draft picks and more of the optionality teams spend years chasing. Right now, though, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious target available, so there’s no reason to burn through those assets just to make a move.
For now, the plan can simply be to get through the season with what they have and revisit everything before the trade deadline in February. By then, the league could look very different, and the market may offer a player or opportunity that isn’t there today.
And if that kind of deal doesn’t surface, Boston still has a clean path to stand pat and push the decision down the road. Staying under the tax would let the Celtics reset the repeater tax and make future spending much easier. They’d also have Paul George’s expiring contract and even more draft picks to work with.
There’s another reason to hold steady: the Celtics still need a better read on their young players. If Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and others take real steps forward, that could change the calculus entirely. Boston might discover the answers are already in-house.
But that can only happen if those players actually get the runway to show it. That’s why patience looks like the guiding principle here.
If the right opportunity appears, Brad Stevens and the Celtics will be ready. If it doesn’t, staying the course may be the best move of all.
In Other News...
Celtics Just Passed On A Cheap Trade Chance That Will Frustrate Fans
The latest cost-cutting move around the league put a familiar Celtics front-office dilemma back in the spotlight. Oklahoma Citys three-team deal sent Luguentz Dort to Atlanta, Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas and Ryan Nembhard to the Hawks, while the Thunder came away with three second-round picks and a traded player exception in a financially motivated swap that opened a real window for teams looking for help on the wing.
Boston stayed out of it, and the reason is easy to see even if it is not easy for fans to swallow. The Celtics are barely under the luxury tax and have been trying to keep an eye on the repeater bill, while also carrying a crowded group of young wings that already includes Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr. For a team trying to balance present value with future flexibility, passing on another rotation-caliber wing was a choice that fit the books, even if it left some obvious talent on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Sent A Telling Signal About Jordan Walsh
Jordan Walshs place on the Celtics looks a little more secure after his contract became fully guaranteed on Monday, a small but meaningful signal for a young wing still trying to carve out a long-term role in Boston. Walsh has already logged parts of three NBA seasons, and his recent progress has given the organization something to think about beyond just depth, especially with his improved shooting giving him a more credible path to minutes.
The next question is whether Boston treats that progress as the start of a bigger investment. Walsh is now eligible for a season-long extension worth up to 140% of the average player salary, which puts him on the radar for a possible new deal if the Celtics want to lock him in before the market gets involved. Even so, the wing rotation remains crowded enough that his future still feels fluid, and Boston may have more decisions to make than this one guarantee suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Could Be Bostons Next Risky Veteran Bet
Bostons interest in Paul George comes with the kind of familiar veteran calculus that has long shaped contender moves: if the body holds up, the fit can still matter in a big way. The conversation around him has even drifted toward the late-career path Paul Pierce took through Boston, Brooklyn and Washington, a reminder that star names can carry different meanings once a player is no longer expected to be the center of everything.
For the Celtics, the appeal is less about a return to peak superstardom than about what George could still supply on the wing in the postseason. He can function as a 3-and-D piece who also has enough shot creation to bail a team out when possessions get tight, but the larger question is how much that kind of value can move the needle if the rest of the roster does not hold up around him. Boston is still trying to make its current approach work under Mazzulla Ball, and George would be only one part of a much bigger equation. [Read more 🡒]