Celtics: New arrivals, season forecast, and free agents for 2024
Both of the Boston Celtics’ great forwards are still with the team. They should be with them for a very long time because Jaylen Brown received the highest-paying NBA contract ever. However, during the past three months, Brown and Jayson Tatum’s supporting cast has seen significant changes. Robert Williams III, Grant Williams, Marcus Smart, and Malcolm Brogdon are gone. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have taken their places.
Based on statistics, the Celtics have been the top team in the league for the past four seasons. However, they haven’t been able to overcome a setback, and if they want to raise banner No. 18 in the TD Garden rafters, they’ll need to improve their margins.
What’s fresh?
The Celtics traded Smart in a transaction that brought them Porzingis and significantly changed their rotation when a deal including Brogdon fell through.
Oshae Brissett signed as a potential replacement for Grant Williams, who left for Dallas after being in and out of the playoff rotation.
In response to the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard trade, the Celtics traded Brogdon, Robert Williams, and two first-round selections to Portland for Holiday on the eve of training camp.
What’s the limit for the Celtics?
Boston and Milwaukee ought to be regarded as the Eastern Conference’s joint favorites. The Celtics seem to have less depth, but they could be the superior team in a postseason series if they stay healthy and add one or two reliable players to their starting lineup. There is a championship ceiling.
One player who needs to jump
Brissett Oshae. The Celtics require more than six reliable players. Although Boston is thinner up front, particularly with Al Horford turning 37 this season, it is crucial that Payton Pritchard bounces back from some slippage in his third season. The next player who can play for the Cs at the four after Tatum is Brissett, who has never played in the playoffs. They’ll need him to make open shots and.
Season-long Competition
East Group C is where the Celtics play. Here is a recap of the In-Season Tournament’s operation.
Future Free Agents
In 2024, the Celtics could have eight free agents:
Dalano Banton (choice of team).
JD Davison (a two-way player) and Oshae Brissett (a player option)
Sam Hauser (choice of team)
Luke Kornet-Svi Mykhailiuk
Neemias Queta, a bidirectional player
Jay Scrubb, a versatile player
Tatum’s care will need to begin next summer, as Brown has agreed to a five-year deal that will keep him under contract until the 2028–2029 campaign. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any hesitancy in offering the 25-year-old (who turns 26 in March) a five-year designated veteran extension for three-quarters of the salary cap. In 2025, tougher choices will need to be made when additional rotation elements.
The entire Boston roster is available here.
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Senior stats analyst John Schuhmann works for NBA.com. You may follow him on Twitter, send him an email, and access his archive here.
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