After handing Jaylen Brown a five-year, $285 million deal in the 2023 offseason, it was expected that the Boston Celtics would roll out a similar offer for Brown’s First Team All-NBA teammate, Jayson Tatum. Just a year after Brown’s hefty deal, the Green Machine gave Tatum a five-year $314 million contract, which will kick in from the 2025-26 season. It means that their two superstars are going to cost the Boston side north of $100 million from the 2025-26 season.
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Combining the rest of the contracts, the Celtics’ luxury tax bill will shoot through the roof soon. In that wake, on his ‘Roommates Show’ pod with Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart wondered how the Celts are pulling off such pricey deals in the first place.
Apart from Tatum and Brown’s mega deals, the Celtics also handed a four-year, $125 million extension to Derrick White, a deal which will also kick in from the 2025-26 season. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday also have deals that are in the $30 million range. Considering the nature of these deals, Hart couldn’t wrap his mind around the Celtics’ ability to keep handing out hefty deals effortlessly.
Hart stated during the show,
“Where’s Boston pulling out all this money out from? That’s what I want to know. We’re looking through couch cushions for change and Boston just throwing bags out.”
In response, Brunson also expressed his astonishment over the team having five players with contracts that run past $100 million. Meanwhile, Hart brought up the reports that the existing ownership group might be selling the group, meaning that the next ownership group will have the tricky task of managing their bloated finances.
The veteran guard admitted that the Celtics players deserve the money based on their current market value. But the departing ownership group are leaving their successors to deal a financial mess. Hart added,
“What’s kind of funny is obviously there are reports they might be selling it now. Basically like, ‘Yeah, you’ll just won a chip. Much love, peace and blessings. I’m get y’all paid, I’m going to let the next dude deal with it, I’m out.’”
Hart is spot-on about the timing of the Celtics’ current ownership’s decision to change the reins. From 2025-26 season, the luxury tax bills for the franchise would soar through the roof as they will be well into the second apron of the luxury tax threshold.
However, as the co-host of the show pointed out, that the ownership wouldn’t go into such huge debt if they already didn’t know the next owners. Because otherwise, the team would be difficult to sell at a reasonable price.
