Training camp is underway, and the Celtics’ roster picture is just about settled. There’s still a fight for the final two-way spot, and Boston technically has room to make another move or carry a 15th player, but sitting just under the luxury tax line, the group looks mostly finished.
That doesn’t mean the front office can coast through the next month. The biggest item on the board is Payton Pritchard’s extension, which became available on October 1st and has an October 19th deadline. That’s a major call for both sides and one that could take some real work.
But Boston also has two other decisions coming due, and these should be far cleaner. The Celtics need to decide on team options for Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez, and those choices are due by November 2nd.
Both players are still on rookie contracts. Scheierman is heading into his third season, while Gonzalez is entering his second.
Last season, both made real strides and are expected to take on even bigger roles this year as versatile two-way wings who can defend, rebound, create offense, and hit shots. They were a real part of what Boston got done a year ago, and with more minutes opening up, that should only continue.
That’s why it would be a surprise if the Celtics don’t pick up both options.
Scheierman’s deal would lock in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract at $4.95 million, a number that looks like a steal based on what he’s already shown. Gonzalez’s option is for his third season at $3.06 million, with a second team option after that for $5.53 million.
If these deals aren’t exercised, the most likely reason would be to preserve flexibility or possibly work toward longer-term contracts. Boston did something similar with Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta this summer, then extended both players, but those situations were different. Neither had established themselves the way Scheierman and Gonzalez already have, and the Celtics were in a very different spot financially at the time, trying to stay under the tax.
Now, Boston has a clearer path ahead, and these younger pieces fit right into it. With the repeater tax likely reset after this season, the Celtics should have more room to spend without the same level of punishment hanging over them.
Nothing in the NBA is ever truly locked in, but Brad Stevens and the Celtics appear to be very high on both Scheierman and Gonzalez. Picking up those options before November 2nd looks like one of the easiest calls this front office has on its plate.
In Other News...
Celtics Face A Bigger Paul George Decision Than Fans Realize
Even with age, injury history and a hefty contract attached, Paul George still has enough standing around the league that teams have not written him off as a difference-maker. An NBA executive told Sean Deveney that George continues to carry considerable value, which helps explain why his arrival in Boston has remained a topic of real interest rather than a passing roster note.
George has also sounded upbeat about landing with the Celtics and has made clear he would like to stick around. The larger question is how Boston sees him as the season unfolds, because the teams long-term plan for him is still unsettled and the answer will say a lot about where this roster is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Usage Could Reveal A Lot About Bostons Confidence
The Celtics handling of Paul George is already shaping up as one of the more interesting early questions around their rotation. A minutes restriction would not be unusual for a veteran with mileage, and Boston has history here, having managed Al Horford carefully in his later seasons with the team. For now, though, there is no official indication that George is headed for that kind of limited workload, and the tone from media day suggested he may be available whenever he is healthy.
That leaves the real intrigue in how Boston chooses to use him once the games start counting. The Celtics seem confident George can handle significant minutes this season, which says plenty about how they view his body and his role in the rotation. Even so, the exact plan has not been confirmed, and the difference between a full-go approach and a more cautious one could tell a lot about just how aggressively Boston wants to chase the regular season with its veteran core. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchard Is About To Face Bostons Biggest New Test
Payton Pritchard has spent his Celtics tenure turning steady growth into real trust, and last season made the leap as his most productive one yet. After improving each year in Boston, he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2025 and gave the Celtics efficient scoring, playmaking and a burst off the bench that helped shape their second unit.
Now the challenge changes. With Jaylen Brown gone to Philadelphia, Pritchard is set to shoulder a bigger creation load alongside Jayson Tatum, and that kind of expanded responsibility brings a different level of scrutiny in Boston. The question is no longer whether he can help spark the offense in a reserve role, but whether he can keep that production steady while becoming a more central part of what the Celtics do next. [Read more 🡒]