The Boston Celtics are still reeling from Jayson Tatum‘s devastating injury and the end of their championship repeat bid. Those twin events force the Celtics to confront an uncertain future earlier than expected.
Multiple reports suggest the Celtics are breaking up their championship core, not only because Tatum’s injury will keep them from contending next season, but also because of their rising luxury tax bill.
Anyone outside of Tatum has made their way to the trade rumor mills. But according to NBA insider Marc Stein, there are some degrees to the projected availability of their starters in the trade market this offseason, like they are more open to trading Jrue Holiday than Derrick White.
“The Celtics’ precise determination to keep their various veterans is difficult to calculate so soon after the defending champions’ Round 2 exit to the Knicks in six games and the devastating loss of Jayson Tatum to an Achilles rupture, but the early projections in circulation suggest Boston is more apt to make Jrue Holiday available via trade this offseason than Derrick White,” Stein wrote.
Holiday is four years older than White, who was the Celtics’ most reliable scorer (18.8 points) behind their star wings Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White is also one of their top on-ball defenders.
Derrick White Laments Celtics’ Lost Season
The Celtics blew the first two games of their second-round series against the New York Knicks. They surrendered two 20-point second-half leads in Games 1 and 2, which came back to haunt them.
âIt sucks, weâre never getting this season back,â White told reporters following their 119-81 loss in Game 6. âWeâre never going to have the exact same team again.â
That last line only confirmed what had been circulating even before Tatum’s injury.
On May 1, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that “the rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come to the Celtics roster this offseason.”
âSources have been telling me for weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the offseason,” Charania said on âThe Pat McAfee Showâ at the time. “This iteration just is not going to be sustainable for this team and no one around the organization â from players to staffers â would be surprised if there are changes coming to this roster. Because when you think about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, thereâs restrictions that come with trades, thereâs restrictions that come with freezing of draft picks. Thatâs all the stuff that theyâre dealing with right now.â
Their starting five â Holiday, White, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis â will combine for close to $200 million next season.
White will be 31 in July and is locked to a four-year, $118 million pact that will start kicking in next season.
Jrue Holiday Wants to Stay in Boston
Getty Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics ponders his future amid trade rumors.
Holiday remained defiant despite their second-round exit and losing Tatum to a long-term injury.
âI think we still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win a championship again,â Holiday told reporters after the loss to the Knicks. âI think the talent that we have on this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff, all the way up to Brad [Stevens], has been amazing. So, yeah, the opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be a part of that.â
Holiday’s four-point dud (on 1-for-8 shooting from the field) in Game 6 capped what had been his worst season since his rookie year. The six-time NBA All-Defensive guard will turn 35 in June and has three years remaining on a four-year, $134 million deal, including a $37.2 million player option in 2027-28.
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