What could the 2026 offseason look like for the Celtics

The 2025-26 Boston Celtics were supposed to be taking a gap year. That has not been the case as Boston is 2nd in the Eastern Conference and looking to make another deep playoff run with the return of Jayson Tatum.

However, before the playoffs start, let’s look ahead to what is to come for the Celtics this summer.

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Currently, Boston has 12 players under contract for next season, including team options on Jordan Walsh, Amari Williams and Max Shulga.

I think they’ll pick up Walsh’s option, decline Shulga’s (and bring him back on a new two-way contract) and either pick up Williams’ or decline it and give him a new multi-year deal. My guess would be the latter.

They’ll also need to sign Ron Harper Jr. to standard deal because he is out of two-way eligibility. That leaves us with 12 standard players and 2 two-way players.

They have two picks in the draft. They’ll use the first round pick — this draft is too good to not add a player, even as late as they’ll be picking. They also have a 2nd round pick from Milwaukee, projected to be 40th overall right now. I think they’ll trade that one to get more future 2nd round picks and more flexibility with the roster.

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Another factor in these plans is whether the Celtics want to stay under the tax in 2026-27 to eliminate the repeater tax and then go spend big in 2027-28 when Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza are set to be free agents.

Right now, the Celtics are projected to be $19 million under the luxury tax for next season. Add in Harper’s likely minimum salary and the 27th pick in the draft’s salary, that likely leaves the Celtics with around $13 million to spend on their non-tax payer mid-level exception or the $27 million trade exception they have from the Anfernee Simons-Nikola Vucevic trade.

They likely won’t spend all of that money and the part they do could be on a center.

Isaiah Hartenstein will be out of the Celtics price range. I also think Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams will be as well but if they aren’t, they would be at the top of my list.

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Day’Ron Sharpe has a $6.5 million team option with…

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Publish date : 2026-03-27 08:00:00

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