Celtics Roster, Salary Cap Breakdown After Whirlwind Start to Free Agency

Bobby Krivitsky | Jul 3, 2024

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

After securing Banner 18, the Celtics have 13 of 15 players who helped them reach the NBA summit while occupying a standard, full-time roster spot last season under contract for the 2024-25 campaign.

The two who remain free agents are Svi Mykhailiuk, who could potentially opt to play overseas, a prospect he considered last summer before signing with Boston, and Oshae Brissett.

While the latter declined his $2.5 million player option a week before free agency started, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the six-foot-seven wing has not closed the door on returning for a second year with the Celtics.

It's a safe bet the defending NBA champions would welcome back Brissett, but if he signs elsewhere, their draft class and players inked to two-way contracts might prove their only external additions.

Teams must fill a minimum of 14 of its 15 standard roster spots. Boston can now sign their first-round pick, Baylor Scheierman; when it does, it will have 14 players on board for the upcoming campaign. Second-round selection Anton Watson will likely join the team on a two-way deal.

For a franchise that Spotrac projects as already being slightly north of $7 million over the second apron, $17.8 million above the first, and staring down the prospect of fielding the most expensive roster in NBA history come the 2025-26 season, a team that could cost in the neighborhood of $450 million in payroll and tax payments when factoring in repeater tax penalties, saving money this year by leaving the 15th roster spot vacant for the 2024-25 campaign seems more valuable than the alternative. Plus, it could always change course and address that opening during the season.

And with the Celtics rightfully being cautious about who they bring in, having zero tolerance for someone who might negatively impact their team chemistry, leaving their final roster spot unoccupied is also a way to guard against that.

"I've been on some great teams, and we've had some great locker rooms, and this marks up with one of the best groups and teams and character that we've had," voiced Jaylen Brown during the regular season while discussing Boston's camaraderie and the work environment it has cultivated.

"We all get along. It's a good atmosphere. We got guys that come to work every day that are trying to improve and get better and all of that stuff you don't take for granted."

While it's more likely that the reigning NBA champions would only field a 15-player roster if Brissett returns, they are limited to signing someone for the veteran minimum if they were to address that vacancy in free agency.

The Celtics cannot acquire a player in a sign-and-trade, take back more money in a deal, or aggregate salaries to absorb a contract. They also can't send out cash in a deal.

Lastly, regarding their two-way roster spots, they tendered a qualifying offer to Drew Peterson, making him a restricted free agent, but they did not do so for JD Davison.

However, while discussing Boston's selections in this year's draft, the organization's president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, expressed, "JD will be a free agent, but we very much (would) like to try to figure out a way to get him back in (some) capacity."

Perhaps the Celtics' efforts to keep their title team intact include re-signing Peterson and Davison.

While Boston hasn't signed Scheierman and Watson yet, here's a breakdown of the team's depth chart that factors them in. Players are listed once, but most fit multiple descriptions.

Ball Handlers: Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard

Wings: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Jaden Springer, Jordan Walsh, Anton Watson

Bigs: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr., Neemias Queta

Further Reading

Celtics, Jayson Tatum Agree to Most Lucrative Deal in NBA History

Celtics' Ownership Group Announces Plan to Sell the Franchise

Derrick White, Essential to Celtics' Dynasty Hopes, Signs 4-Year Extension

Celtics Work Quickly to Re-Sign Luke Kornet

Brad Stevens Shares His Outlook on Celtics' Draft Picks

Baylor Scheierman Shares Celtics' Feedback Before Drafting Him

Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him

On Derrick White and the Fuel for Unprecedented Journey to NBA's Best Role Player

Jayson Tatum, an NBA Champion Entering Peak of His Powers

Jaylen Brown Caps Career Year with NBA Finals MVP: 'Can't Even Put it into Words'