Brad Stevens and the difficult mission of degreasing the mammoth

This may be the only positive aspect of Jayson Tatum’s injury, which he suffered during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks. It allowed the Celtics to make a major cleanup, which was necessary anyway, but even more justified during the months-long loss of their leading scorer.

Finances were in the red and the franchise had to clean up its accounts. Even if the situation was thankless for Brad Stevens: the mammoth weight loss that allowed him to win the title in 2024.

“This will be our third year above the ‘second apron’ if we do nothing”the president of the Celtics specifies that The Athletic. “We talked for a while before this summer. To some extent, everyone knew it: players, coaches, agents. Everyone knew this couldn’t last forever.”

The first round of the draft is impossible to replace

Since 2023, when the new collective bargaining agreement was in place, Boston’s leader began to think about this change. Two years later, decisions were made to halve the group’s payroll, including taxes.

“We were faced with a note that had never been seen before”remembers Brad Stevens, faced with 500 million to pay (including 300 penalties) if nothing is done about wages. “So, in addition to the ‘second apron,’ that was something important. The owners, old and new, were willing to pay, but it made sense to reorganize. Besides, when it comes to ‘aprons,’ there are limitations. Our first round of the 2032 draft is blocked (ie cannot be included in an exchange). It will be unlocked if you stay under it for three or four years. »

The president confirms it “this month and a half has been very long”. It had to be decided, with the trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, as well as the letting of Al Horford and Luke Cornett go. “We’ve been very honest with everyone. We’ve tried to be proactive in saying that changes are going to happen.”he slips.

The Celtics wiped off the cast

And for the new owner, who last March invested in a team that doesn’t look the same a few weeks later… “I called Bill Chisholm to tell him that I appreciate his way of looking at things. Because he bought in March and a lot of difficult decisions will be made in the first six months. It’s not easy »continues Brad Stevens.

Now that the hard part is over, what can we remember? “It wasn’t the most pleasant summer for a CEO or a manager, but we knew that was part of the difficulty of investing everything in the last two years.”notes the former Celtics coach, who also sees it as a good lesson learned and warning for other franchises.

“It’s a different challenge, in a lot of ways. But it’s a lot easier when you have the tough core that you have and also, we mustn’t forget, a first-team All-NBA level player in civilian clothes on the bench. We’re really in a good position compared to others who will have to make those kinds of decisions later on.”