While the Celtics are limited in what they can do in free agency, that still didn’t stop them from dominating the news cycle. Sure, other teams were busy signing free agents to bolster their rosters. But the C’s instead got to flex some of their continuity ever since the 6 p.m. Sunday start to the league’s free agency period.
To start, the Celtics re-signed a pair of big men in Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta. Then they inked Derrick White to a four-year extension to keep him in Boston for years to come. Plus, finally, on the basketball side, Jayson Tatum agreed to his expected supermax contract extension, the largest in NBA history. So there weren’t any new players signed to the roster, but those were all straightforward decisions for the Celtics. That lack of drama is a plus for the C’s as they don’t need to rely on newcomers to get them to the top — they’re already there, after all.
Of course, the big news from Monday was finding out majority owner Wyc Grousbeck plans to sell his stake of the team. But that impact won’t affect the team in the short-term, though the news is noteworthy and also came Monday.
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The Celtics still have some other decisions to make throughout the summer. Since they’re over the second apron in the salary cap, that means certain limitations and penalties when it comes to signing free agents or making trades. Basically, at least for free agency, the C’s can only sign new players to minimum contracts. Considering the Celtics don’t have much playing time to go around anyway, it’s not as debilitating for the team compared to other squads still looking to upgrade its depth.
So while some of their rivals are taking massive swings by going all-in, the Celtics are doing so in their own way. They realistically can’t keep this roster together a few seasons down the line considering the tax bill will be expensive. But the C’s still have a strong chance to repeat as champions as they have their top players locked down for the next few years.
That all means Celtics fans can sit back and not worry about any free agency drama, especially compared to past summers. The C’s don’t need to bank on an impact player coming to Boston because the roster has already proven it’s talented enough to win a title. That’s a luxury considering other teams in the league are trying to get to the Celtics’ level.
In the meantime, the front office will still look to add to the roster depth. It’s a tricky situation to manage from the Celtics’ perspective. Boston president Brad Stevens has often spoken about how difficult it is finding potential impact players who likely won’t play consistent minutes. Many potential free agents over the past few years have spoken about playing with the Celtics. But the C’s are upfront about the reality of their roster in that they don’t have many minutes for those potential adds. So it’s not exactly an ideal situation for ring-chasing veterans who want to contribute to a title.
Regardless, the Celtics will get a full summer to enjoy their championship. The front office will continue shoring up the roster as it’s more than earned the fans’ trust after getting to Banner No. 18. And the C’s will continue working from a position of strength because of their talented roster.
