The Boston Celtics front office opened up about the difficult decisions the franchise made this offseason, acknowledging the emotional and competitive toll of trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
In a report published Monday on Spotrac by Keith Smith, a team executive reflected candidly on the roster overhaul. “It sucked to trade Jrue and KP, because we loved those guys and they loved Boston,” the official told Smith.
The Celtics face the 2025–26 campaign navigating the NBA’s harsh luxury tax rules. Boston remained above the punitive second apron even after last month’s trades, but the executive insisted that would not remain the case. “We won’t finish there,” they said.
According to Smith’s reporting, the executive admitted it was “poor management” to stay over the second apron without being a clear title contender.
The Celtics also emphasized how much Jayson Tatum’s absence due to injury factored into their decisions. “We aren’t the same level of team without Jayson,” the executive noted. Despite that, the team expects to remain competitive and in the playoff picture.
Boston drafted Hugo González at No. 28 and acquired the rights to Amari Williams and Max Shulga via trade during the 2025 NBA Draft. Those additions provide depth while allowing the team to avoid costly luxury tax penalties.
The front office also highlighted the real impact of the new collective bargaining agreement provisions, such as frozen draft picks and dropping draft positions for repeat offenders over the second apron. “The frozen pick and pick dropping stuff is real,” the official confirmed.
