Without Jayson Tatum and well into the second apron, the Celtics find themselves in a bind next season. But, several members of the current roster believe if the Celtics ran it back, they’d once again be championship contenders.
After a devastating finish to the season, the Celtics have plenty of difficult choices to make this offseason. Al Horford and Luke Kornet are both unrestricted free agents who are likely to seek more than the veteran minimum.
And, the team is more than $40 million into the luxury tax and $20 million into the second apron, meaning that some sort of salary shedding is expected. (The second apron is a financial threshold that triggers harsh penalties, including restrictions on trades, free agency, and draft picks).
Moves to get out of the second apron could involve trading Jrue Holiday (who is due to make $32.4 million next season), Kristaps Porzingis (who is due $30.7M), or even Jaylen Brown ($53.1M).
And with Jayson Tatum sidelined for most, if not all, of next season, many have assumed next year’s Celtics team will be out of the mix to contend for a championship — further incentivizing organizational leadership to reduce payroll next season.
But that’s not how the current Celtics players feel
Payton Pritchard, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year this past season, said he’s 100% certain that the Celtics will be very competitive despite Tatum’s prolonged absence.
“We will put a good team together — a lot of competitors, and people will go out there and lay it all on the line every night,” Pritchard said. “And I believe people will elevate their games and have bigger roles, especially with JT being out [and] until he comes back, and they should take full advantage of it and be ready for those opportunities. And we will compete.”
And, veteran wing Torrey Craig, who is a free agent this summer, told CelticsBlog his confidence in next year’s Celtics team remains high.
“Even without JT, this team could still compete for a championship,” Craig said. “They’re talented. You just have to find a way to play basketball a little differently. But this group is way more capable. I have the utmost confidence.”
This season, the Celtics went 8-2 without Jayson Tatum
They were 2-1 without their MVP candidate in the postseason, with Brown turning in two of his best games of the playoffs in Tatum’s absence.
The Celtics’ ability to stay afloat without Tatum will largely depend on who they keep on next season’s roster, ownership’s willingness to spend, and what next year’s Eastern Conference looks like. It’ll also depend on whether players like Derrick White, Pritchard, and even rookie Baylor Scheierman can take another leap.
But, there’s no shortage of confidence inside the locker room about the team’s potential to compete if given the opportunity.
“We still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win the championship again,” Holiday said. “I think the talent that we have in this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff, all the way up to Brad [Stevens], has been amazing. The opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be part of it.”
The only question is whether Celtics ownership and management feel the same.