Celtics News: Why Any Trades For Boston Will Be Limited Due to New CBA Restrictions

At 21-6, does Boston really even want to make moves?

Dec 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

At 21-6, does Boston Celtics team president Brad Stevens really want to make moves?

Hopefully not, because outside of some fringe, end-of-roster minimum trades, it's going to be incredibly difficult for the reigning champs to pull off meaningful transactions at all this year. Boston is well into the league's restrictive second luxury tax apron.

In a recent column, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston breaks down the two primary elements of the Celtics' status as a second apron squad that will impact their trade efforts this year.

"The Celtics cannot aggregate contracts in a trade, meaning they cannot combine contracts to acquire a more valuable player," Forsberg observes. "If the Celtics were to move, say, Jaden Springer’s $4 million contract, they cannot combine him with Queta’s $2 million deal to hunt a $6 million player."

Being unable to aggregate smaller contracts to acquire a bigger one obviously cuts off a major tool for the team.

But in perhaps one of the more bonkers elements of the new CBA, another great mechanism for acquiring veteran talent midseason — the buyout signing — has also been significantly restricted for second apron teams, too.

"The Celtics cannot sign any buyout player who was previously making more than the midlevel exception this season," Forsberg adds.

So players inked to more solid deals, i.e. players who were thought to perhaps have more value than midlevel exception or veteran's minimum signings, are thus cut off from access to the second apron squads.

Boston's top 10 remains pretty darn solid. All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, All-Defensive Guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, and one-time All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis comprise head coach Joe Mazzulla's starting five. Sixth Man of the Year favorite Payton Pritchard has become Mazzulla's top bench option, supplanting former five-time All-Star center Al Horford. Sharpshooting forward Sam Hauser is the club's eighth man, while big men Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet have been used to spell Boston's frontcourt.

If anything, the team could use either an upgrade of its third big man spot over the aging Horford, now in his 18th season, or another bench wing, ideally one who both added a little defense and could be counted on to nail an open trey, as so many of the Celtics' starters reliably do.

Could Stevens, say, ditch the aforementioned Springer, who's averaging a scant 4.3 minutes a night, 16th-most on the team behind two-way player JD Davison? It may be worth exploring.

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