The Reasons Behind the Celtics Trading Noah Vonleh to the Spurs

Celtics send Noah Vonleh and cash considerations to the Spurs.

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Celtics are sending Noah Vonleh to the Spurs along with cash considerations. Boston will receive a top-55 protected future second-round draft pick in return.

San Antonio is waiving Gorgui Dieng to clear a roster spot for Vonleh, who the Spurs will also waive, reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

So, while the move is financially motivated for San Antonio, why did the Celtics make this deal?

The answer is two-fold. Non-guaranteed contracts, like the one Vonleh's on, become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10. But Jan. 7 is the last day teams can waive players with non-guaranteed salary without becoming responsible for the entire amount as dead cap and in cash.

Boston signed Vonleh to a deal with a base salary of $2.5 million, carrying a cap hit of $1.8 million, per Spotrac. The former top-10 pick has a higher base salary than Justin Jackson ($2.1 million) and Sam Hauser ($1.6 million).

Trading him lowers the Celtics' luxury tax bill, which Spotrac estimated was about $65.2 million before moving Vonleh. They'll save roughly $7 million in taxes, per Keith Smith of Spotrac and Celtics Blog.

The deal also opens a roster spot, which could come in handy between now and the Feb. 9 trade deadline or when the buyout market heats up afterward.

Further Reading

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