Boston’s budget trim turns into flexibility gold
After Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury and key departures, Boston shed big salaries, dropping from $20M over the 2nd apron to just $4M above the 1st—and saving around $238M in luxury tax. The joke? Brad Stevens balanced the books so well Harvard’s accounting class might call him for tips.
With fresh trade exceptions and picks intact, the Celtics’ gap year isn’t a surrender—it’s a strategic pause before the next push, with options ranging from quiet development to a blockbuster trade season comeback.
