The Boston Celtics spent big putting together rosters that competed in the NBA Finals in 2022 and 2024, winning one Larry O'Brien Trophy, and those decisions officially caught up with the franchise during the summer of 2025.
While Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury changes the plan for the immediate future, the Celtics were always going to have to cut costs this offseason to get below the second apron in the league's CBA and avoid the financial penalties that come with it.
Brad Stevens tackled this topic head-on while meeting with the media on Tuesday morning. He did not sugarcoat his words when addressing why Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were shipped out of town via trades in exchange for Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, and a 2031 second-round pick.
Brad Stevens Admits Second Apron Forced Celtics' Offseason Trades
Had Stevens thrown caution to the wind and not worried about the financial impacts of running things back with the roster that was in place, the Celtics would have been looking at a luxury tax bill that got as high as $238 million on top of the $227.7 million that their payroll would have accounted for.
Even if there wasn't a change in ownership in Boston this offseason, that type of tax penalty would not be acceptable for any franchise. Stevens admitted as much with his direct response to the question, via Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog.com.
Brad Stevens on trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) July 8, 2025
"The second apron is why those trades happened."
With Holiday and Porzingis gone, Luke Kornet signing with the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent, and Al Horford not being part of the equation moving forward, the Celtics roster will be missing several key veterans who helped make those deep postseason runs come to fruition.
Nothing said in Stevens' explanation will make Boston fans feel any better about the current state of the Celtics' roster. If fans are looking for one piece of hopeful news to come out of his time with the media on Tuesday, it is that Stevens stated, via Bobby Manning of Celtics on CLNS, that the new ownership group has made it clear that they will not risk long-term success for short-term financial relief.