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The big man market was active on Tuesday, but the Boston Celtics couldn't afford to join in on the center scramble. Instead, they had to watch the Milwaukee Bucks land former Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and witness the Toronto Raptors re-sign Austrian 7-footer Jakob Poeltl.
It's no secret that the Celtics need help at the five spot after losing centers Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet this offseason. However, due to the financial restrictions of the CBA and the looming second apron, they can't make a huge splash in free agency.
Turner and Poeltl's new contracts highlight that dilemma, as they both agreed to four-year offers for $107 and $104 million, respectively. At the moment, the Celtics simply can't compete with that kind of money.
A large amount of their funds are tied up in hefty deals belonging to stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And even though Boston has tried to shed a ton of salary to start the 2025 offseason, it still finds itself just above the second apron.
The Celtics dipped under it after trading veteran guard Jrue Holiday and Porzingis, yet bringing in former Minnesota Timberwolves Luka Garza and Josh Minott — albeit on inexpensive contracts — put them back over.
Garza and Minott are far from household names in the NBA world, with both guys averaging under 10 minutes per game for their careers. They're who Boston can afford though, leaving the Turners and Poeltls for the rest of the league.
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Unfortunately for Boston, Turner and Poeltl stayed in an Eastern Conference that's improving. To make matters worse, the C's are without Tatum for the foreseeable future due to an Achilles rupture and Brown is coming off a partial meniscus tear.
Those health issues, coupled with Boston's financial woes, don't make for a promising offseason outlook. Losing veteran big Al Horford would be another critical blow to the Celtics, and it's seeming more and more likely due to the current price centers are going for and Horford's plethora of suitors.
If he does walk, the 2024 NBA champions are left with 25-year-old Neemias Queta, Garza, and rookie Amari Williams as their only true centers. And since Boston doesn't have enough ammo to win a costly bidding war, it'll have to pivot to the trade market.
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has shown an uncanny ability to accomplish offseason stunners, so at least the C's have the 2024 NBA Executive of the Year in their corner. Whether Boston strikes a deal for a center (perhaps ex-Celtic Robert Williams III) or finds one for a bargain (maybe unrestricted free agent Thomas Bryant) remains to be seen.
Either way, the Celtics aren't finished mixing things up. They'll just have to maneuver without much money in their pockets, which is a tall order in the second apron's era of big contracts and little wiggle room.
