The Boston Celtics were never given the chance to trade for Luka Doncic.
The Boston Celtics boast one of the NBA’s elite wing duos. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have played together their entire careers, delivering Boston’s 18th championship last season.
Yet, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, had the Dallas Mavericks opened Luka Doncic trade talks beyond just the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics’ playoff roster might look dramatically different today. Marks believes Boston’s trade package could have looked something like this:
Mavericks Gets: Jaylen Brown, a 2027 unprotected first-round pick and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
Boston Gets: Luka Doncic
“Would the Celtics trade the Finals MVP before they had the opportunity to defend their title? Probably not,” Marks wrote. “But, due to second apron restrictions, Brown is the only player that makes a Doncic deal work. (Boston is not allowed to combine contracts.) The trade costs Boston two unprotected first-round picks in years when Doncic might not be on the roster, but the blockbuster would pair two of the top five players in the NBA in Doncic and Jayson Tatum.”
Trading Brown would be a tough decision for the Celtics. He was a core part of the team’s success in the 2024 postseason, winning both the Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP. However, the opportunity to acquire Doncic may have swayed Brad Stevens’ decision-making.
Celtics Expected to Make Roster Moves This Summer
The Celtics are facing an estimated $500 million payroll next season, when factoring in player salaries and luxury taxes. During a recent appearance on WEEI, Wyc Grousbeck detailed the damage the second-apron can do to a team’s ability to build a contending roster.
“It’s not the luxury-tax bill. It’s the basketball penalties, OK? The new CBA was designed by the league to stop teams from going crazy. And they decided that it’s not just good enough to go after the wallets because then the fans are like, ‘Hey, find someone who can afford to spend whatever, $500 million a year or whatever it is, like the English Premier League.’”
With Boston facing an increasingly large payroll and numerous restrictions on team building, they’re expected to explore their options during the summer. As such, the current roster could look a little different by the start of the 2025-26 season.
Sam Hauser Could Leave Boston
In a March 20 appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, Marks discussed Boston’s impending payroll and what the team could do to duck under the second apron. The veteran analyst cited Sam Hauser as the most logical choice to be traded during the summer.
“They are a luxury tax team next year…However, although you may be paying around $500 million in payroll, you’ve got 11 players under contract for next year…That’s where this new CBA comes into play,” Marks said. “Because what the commissioner has done is say, ‘You can have some toys, but you can’t have all the toys.’ And those toys are Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser. Here’s a number for you: by keeping Sam Hauser, his first year of that extension, he’s worth $90 million when you look at his $10 million salary and the $80 million in luxury tax penalties that come with it. If they’re looking at shedding some of that money, which would be Sam Hauser.”
Hauser is one of the best shooters in the NBA. He would carry significant trade value for Boston. However, if Doncic had been available, the overall outlook on the upcoming summer could have looked very different. For now, though, Stevens will likely be building a blueprint on how to approach the summer, regardless of how Boston does in the playoffs.
