The problem the Boston Celtics face in maintaining themselves as a dynasty in the coming years

The Boston Celtics are making a run to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018. But even if the Celtics accomplish the feat, marking the 23rd time in league history that it has occurred, it doesn't seem like the C's can sustain their continuity.

Boston, who retained 15 out of the 18 players from their roster this season, will open their second-round series against New York on Monday. It's the fourth consecutive season the Celtics have reached the Eastern Conference semifinals. Additionally, the Celtics won 61 games, chaining together two consecutive seasons of 60 wins for the first time since 2007-2009.

"The rest of the league is gearing up for some level of change in the Celtics roster this off-season," said ESPN's Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show. "Sources have been telling me for weeks that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the off-season."

"This iteration just isn't going to be sustainable for this team, and no one around the organization - from players to staff - would be surprised if changes are forthcoming. Because when you think about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there are restrictions that come with trades, there are restrictions that come with freezing draft picks. All of that is something they're dealing with right now."

Boston currently has 12 players under contract for next season, with a total cap of over $227 million. This means the Celtics are over $19 million above the second cap with at least two players to sign. The maximum contracts of Jayson Tatum and Derrick White will kick in next year, giving the C's three maximum players, with Jaylen Brown being the other.

JD Davison has a team option for $2.2 million, which is likely to be picked up. Davison has been with the Celtics since he was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. Although the 22-year-old has only appeared in 36 games with the C's, he was named the G-League MVP this season.

Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Torrey Craig are unrestricted free agents. Horford is 38 and unlikely to return to Beantown. Craig is also unlikely to return. Meanwhile, Kornet is an interesting case.

Kornet has been with the Celtics since 2021. The 29-year-old center had a career season this year and has been extremely efficient with the C's. As a result, he should see a raise from the $2.08 million he earned this year.

With Tatum, Brown, and White likely off-limits, who is the Celtics' main trade asset? The Celtics are likely to receive plenty of calls about Payton Pritchard. In the first year of a four-year, $30 million extension, Pritchard had a career season and was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for 2024-25. He had a solid first-round series against Orlando, averaging 9.2 points with shooting percentages of 51.6% from the field, 50% from three, and 66.1% from the foul line.

Sam Hauser signed a four-year, $45 million extension this summer and could also generate some interest as a 3&D wing. Hauser is one of the league's top three-point shooters but doesn't offer much else aside from defense. Like Pritchard, Hauser also had a good first-round series against the Magic.

Two key pieces could be on the move

However, trading Pritchard or Hauser - even together - doesn't ease the Celtics' salary burden. Therefore, the Celtics are likely to shop Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

Porzingis is the easiest player for the Celtics to trade. His contract expires at $30.7 million, and he turns 30 next year. Herein lies the problem for the C's: they are unlikely to seek dollar for dollar in return, but the center remains injury-prone. He has also had issues over the last three seasons, although he has participated in the playoffs.

Despite remaining an elite defender, Holiday is a bit harder to trade. The nearly 35-year-old player hasn't played 70 games since 2017-18 and has two fully guaranteed seasons of at least $32.8 million each owed to him. He also has a player option for $37.2 million for the 2027-28 season.

More significantly, aside from his age, Holiday has slowed down since arriving in Boston. While it's true that the Celtics haven't needed Holiday to be a big scorer, his shooting and playmaking abilities have drastically declined. On the upside, he continues to shoot regularly from long range.

Boston owns five first-round picks between 2025 and 2031. These selections belong to the Celtics and extend to each of the next three years. However, they only have one second-round pick (2031).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El problema al que se enfrentan los Boston Celtics para mantenerse como una dinastía en los próximos años