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The Boston Celtics enter the 2025 offseason at a crossroads. After a disappointing second-round playoff exit and Jayson Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury, the franchise faces a perfect storm of uncertainty: a ballooning payroll, luxury tax penalties, and the need to remain competitive while their superstar recovers. With over $228 million committed to next season’s roster, well above the punitive second apron, Boston’s front office has no choice but to consider major moves, including trading key rotation players or even a core star. Here are three early trade targets the Celtics could pursue, each with a concrete proposal that could reshape the franchise’s trajectory.
1. Houston Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and the No. 10 Pick
The most seismic proposal making the rounds is a blockbuster with the Houston Rockets. In this scenario, the Celtics send Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday to Houston in exchange for a package that includes veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, promising young forward Jabari Smith Jr., versatile wing Tari Eason, and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Trade Proposal
Boston Celtics receive: Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, 2025 No. 10 pick
Houston Rockets receive: Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday
This deal would be painful for Boston, as it means parting with the All-NBA wing Brown and defensive stalwart Holiday. However, it offers immediate and long-term benefits. VanVleet brings championship experience and steady playmaking, Smith and Eason inject youth and upside, and the No. 10 pick gives Boston a shot at another foundational piece or a trade chip for further moves. Most importantly, this trade would clear roughly $88 million in salary, getting the Celtics under the second apron and providing the flexibility needed to retool around Tatum when he returns.
For Houston, the deal accelerates their timeline by pairing Brown and Holiday with their young core, vaulting them into playoff contention in the West. For Boston, it’s a strategic reset, painful, but potentially necessary given their financial reality and Tatum’s injury.
2. Atlanta Hawks: Terance Mann, Georges Niang, and the No. 22 Pick
Kristaps Porzingis' future in Boston is uncertain. His expiring contract and injury history make him a prime candidate to be moved for both financial relief and assets. One plausible scenario involves the Atlanta Hawks, who are seeking frontcourt upgrades and have the contracts and draft capital to make a deal work.
Trade Proposal:
Boston Celtics receive: Terance Mann, Georges Niang, 2025 No. 22 pick
Atlanta Hawks receive: Kristaps Porzingis
This trade accomplishes two goals for Boston: it sheds salary (Mann and Niang make about $7 million less combined than Porzingis), and it nets a late first-round pick in a strong draft. Mann is a versatile guard/wing with playoff experience, while Niang adds shooting and depth. The No. 22 pick could yield a cost-controlled rotation player, which is vital for a team navigating the new CBA’s financial constraints.
Atlanta, meanwhile, gets a stretch big who can anchor their frontcourt, providing spacing for Trae Young and their cadre of young wings. For Boston, the move is about maintaining competitiveness while gaining flexibility and future assets.
3. Los Angeles Lakers: Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, and Future Pick Swaps
Another intriguing destination for Porzingis is Los Angeles, where the Lakers are desperate for a high-level center to complement Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Boston, in turn, could use the Lakers’ assets to reshape its roster and stockpile future draft capital.
Trade Proposal:
Boston Celtics receive: Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, 2030 and 2032 first-round pick swaps
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Kristaps Porzingis
While this deal doesn’t offer immediate cap relief, Porzingis' contract expires after 2025-26, it does give Boston two intriguing rotation pieces and valuable pick swaps. Hachimura, still only 27, fits Boston’s timeline and could thrive in a larger role. Kleber offers frontcourt depth and shooting. The pick swaps, though years away, could be highly valuable if the Lakers’ fortunes decline post-LeBron.
For the Lakers, Porziņģis is the missing piece, a big who can stretch the floor, protect the rim, and alleviate some of the offensive burden on Doncic and James. For Boston, it’s a forward-looking move that balances present competitiveness with long-term asset accumulation.
The Celtics’ 2025 offseason will be defined by tough decisions. The combination of Tatum’s injury, a suffocating payroll, and the NBA’s new financial rules leaves little room for sentimentality. Trading Jaylen Brown or Kristaps Porziņģis would be a seismic shift, but the right deal could position Boston for a quick rebound once Tatum is healthy.
These three trade targets, Houston’s young core and pick, Atlanta’s depth and draft assets, and the Lakers’ rotation players and future swaps, represent the kind of bold thinking required in this pivotal summer. Brad Stevens and the Celtics’ front office must weigh short-term pain against long-term sustainability, knowing that the right move now could set the stage for another championship run in the years ahead.
