The Celtics don’t need anyone to explain the math to them. They’ve already lived it.
Brad Stevens built the core that delivered Boston its 18th championship with a ticking clock attached. The problem was never talent.
It was always the bill. That roster was headed straight for tax apron hell, and Stevens had to get out before the whole thing got boxed in.
Boston did escape without giving up any first-round draft capital, but there was a price. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were moved for pennies on the dollar, and that same summer Al Horford and Luke Kornet were allowed to walk. Now the Celtics are watching the Knicks run into the same wall.
New York’s playoff surge last year was impressive, no question. But keeping a contender intact is a lot harder now than it used to be.
The Knicks knew some of that when they let Mitchell Robinson jump ship to Boston. Even so, the squeeze hasn’t stopped there, and now they have to sort out the long-term future of other pieces on the roster.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the big one. He won’t be easy to keep, and there’s a case on both sides.
Towns had a terrific season, and his jump to another level helped lift the Knicks to the title. But paying a player more than $60 million is the kind of move that carries real consequences down the line.
That’s exactly why Boston moved on from Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics traded Brown because the cost was about to become too steep, and the pairing with Jayson Tatum was no longer giving them enough back. The production wasn’t matching the price tag, and the money tied up in the duo would have made it harder to build out the rest of the roster. So Boston made the hard call and moved on from a Celtics legend after his peak season.
Brown was an excellent player, but not someone who should be making $70 million. Keeping him likely would have done more harm than good, and the Celtics were wise to get ahead of that problem. With the Knicks now staring at the same kind of decision with Towns, Boston’s choice looks even better in hindsight.
At times like this, strange as it sounds, the Celtics and Knicks look like kindred spirits.
In Other News...
Jayson Tatum Sees One Immediate Difference With Celtics Big Man
Mitchell Robinson is already giving the Celtics something they have long valued in the frontcourt, and Jayson Tatum noticed the difference quickly. After signing a three-year contract with Boston, Robinson brings a reputation for defensive disruption, physical rebounding and the kind of interior presence that can change how opponents attack the rim.
Tatum pointed to Robinson's defensive skills, his work on the glass and the broader impact he can have on the group, which fits neatly with what Boston has wanted from its big men. Robinson has built his name as one of the league's better offensive rebounders, and the Celtics will be counting on that edge to show up every night, especially once the games start to tighten and the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Already Sounds Comfortable With A New Celtics Frontcourt Fit
Bostons final training camp practice in Charleston, South Carolina, offered a first real glimpse of how Jayson Tatum is beginning to mesh with a new frontcourt partner. With the season inching closer, Tatum spent some time discussing Mitchell Robinson and the way the Celtics can lean into his defensive presence, rebounding and screening to make the half-court offense and the overall lineup structure feel more natural.
For Tatum, the fit appears to be about more than just rim protection. He sounded comfortable with the idea of Robinson helping set the tone on both ends, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its rotations and maximize the forwards and centers around him. The early read is encouraging, even if the real test will come once the Celtics start facing live pressure and have to turn those camp impressions into something repeatable. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Are Suddenly Linked To A Knicks Move Fans Didn't Expect
The Celtics already made one notable Knicks-related splash this offseason by bringing in center Mitchell Robinson, and now their front office is being tied to another big name from New York. This time it is Karl-Anthony Towns, whose contract situation has quietly become a talking point around the league as Boston looks for ways to keep stacking talent around its core.
A Towns deal would not be simple and it would not come cheap, but the fit is easy to understand for a team that values spacing, size and versatility. The possibility only exists if contract talks in New York go sideways, which remains a long shot given the Knicks recent championship, but the mere mention of Boston in that conversation is enough to make the idea worth watching. [Read more 🡒]