The Boston Celtics have been the first major victim of the second apron, the new financial threshold in the NBA collective bargaining agreement that imposes strict restrictions on team-building, on teams that spend more than a designated dollar figure.
The new provision is designed to prevent high-spending teams from building dynasties, and create overall parity in the league that, in theory, will give every team a shot a championship every year.
Whether that utopian scenario becomes a reality remains to be seen. But one thing is certain already — if the purpose is to break up high-payroll dominant teams, the Celtics are evidence that the second apron is working.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has already been forced to trade two of the players he acquired just two seasons ago, and who played key roles in leading the Celtics to their 19th NBA championship.
Two-time NBA champion guard Jrue Holiday and “unicorn” center Kristaps Porzingis are gone, to the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. Backup center Luke Kornet, who had a breakout season in 2024-2025, departed as a free agent to the San Antonio Spurs, taking a four-year, $41 million deal that remains out of the Celtics range if they want to remain safely under the second apron limit.
The Celtics have not re-signed their other free agent center Al Horford, and most NBA experts predict that they will have to let Horford go as well, possibly to the Golden State Warriors.
2025-2026 Celtics a Shadow of Championshiop Team
The team that won 64 regular season games and the championship in 2023-2204, and recorded a 61-win campaign in the season just completed, now looks like a shadow of its former self — especially with the catastrophic Achilles tendon injury to four-time All-NBA first teamer Jayson Tatum that will keep the six-time All-Star sidelined for most, if not all, of the upcoming season.
Should Stevens complete a total remake of the Celtics?
If that is the choice he makes, a new trade proposal posted on the site FanSpo, which provides users tools for proposing hypothetical deals and checking them against each team’s payroll restrictions, would free Boston of one of its largest contracts, as well as a smaller but significant one, bringing in a veteran, six-time All-Star to give the team a whole new look.
In this trade idea, four-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown — and the four years remaining on his five-season, $303.7 million SuperMax contract — goes to the Sacramento Kings, along with three-point shooting specialist Sam Hauser who will enter the second year of his four-year, $45 million deal.
DeMar DeRozan Teams With Tatum in Trade Pitch
The Kings in this proposed three-team deal would also acquire forward Jonathan Kuminga from the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade transaction.
In return, the Kings would send 16-year-veteran and six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan to Boston, together with shooting guard Malik Monk. Forward Keegan Murray and guard Keon Ellis also head to the Celtics. The Warriors get center Jonas Valančiūnas and point guard Devin Carter from Sacramento.
What would the trade do for the Celtics, in terms of payroll? According to FanSpo calculations — with DeRozan paid $24.7 million in the second season of his three-year, $73.89 million contract – the history trade would have another $6.1 million off Boston’s payroll.
That would put the Celtics $12.4 million below the second apron, going them at least some room to begin building a new team for a new era, pairing DeRozan and Tatum for what Stevens’ hopes would be a new championship run in 2026.
