Fans of the Boston Celtics just want to get to next season.
The Grousbeck family sold the franchise to Bill Chisholm for a ground-breaking $6.1 billion.
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Jayson Tatum suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the New York Knicks. Boston is hopeful Tatum returns stronger than ever, but it also has to look at its future. It had to get under a certain number in taxes to avoid penalties with the new ownership. The Celtics to move Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday — members of its 2023-24 NBA Championship team — to new teams.
Boston cleared up $180 million in making the move, but could someone else be leaving?
ESPN’s Shams Charania stated the Celtics are taking phone calls on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
Brown, a four-time Alll-Star, 2024 NBA Champion, and 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, is one of the best young superstars in the league. He shot a career-high 50 percent from the field in Boston’s championship season, while averaging 22.2 points per game this season. White, a two-time second-team NBA All-Defensive selection, was on the Celtics’ 2023-24 NBA Championship team.
He averaged 15.2 points and a career-high 1.2 blocks per game that year. White had career-highs for minutes played (33.9), points per game (16.4), and rebounds per game (4.5).
Boston wants both, but it is getting interesting.
Joined @notthefakeSVP on the Celtics’ incoming calls on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White as they shed $180 million in taxes over 24 hours — plus Kyrie Irving explains his Dallas commitment: pic.twitter.com/R4NcbvpFLw
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2025
“The phone lines are ringing in Boston,” Charania said to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “They are getting offers, calls on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. The Celtics have high priced thresholds for both players. We know how great Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are, so I am pretty sure they are getting some massive offers. Their preference is to keep both players, but they are still a luxury tax team and is dealing with the uncertainty of Jayson Tatum’s status for next season.”
Boston wants to see if a team can reach the threshold of its asking price for Brown and White.
It needs to get out of the luxury tax aprons, but how much more can it move?
We will see if it is able to hold on to two of its better players.
Stephen M. Smith is a writer for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on X via @CoachingMSmith.
