The Boston Celtics slashed their books this offseason as the franchise has reportedly cut the total projected cost of their roster for the 2025-26 campaign by over $300 million .
Cutting that much money from the team's budget would set other franchises back for years. However, Boston managed to do so without shipping the likes of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, or Jayson Tatum out of town. That leaves the Celtics with a very formidable core to build on once Tatum returns from the Achilles injury he suffered during the 2025 playoffs.
But there are some big names are no longer part of the roster. Veterans Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford are among the players to say goodbye to Boston this summer. One departure can be viewed as an addition by subtraction, given the issues he had staying healthy and on the floor throughout the 82-game regular season campaign.
Celtics Offseason Departure of Porzingis Will Be Addition by Subtraction
Kristaps Porzingis played two seasons for the Celtics. Over those two seasons, the veteran big man appeared in just 99 of a possible 164 regular-season games. That is not good enough when you are earning roughly $30 million per season.
It wasn't just the regular season where his availability was an issue, though. Porzingis only appeared in seven games during Boston's championship run during the 2024 postseason and was forced to come off the bench for four of the Celtics' 11 playoff games this year.
Getting out of that contract now was a smart decision regardless of whether the team's finances were in order. The fact that Boston was staring down the luxury tax bill made it impossible for Porzingis to remain with the Celtics, especially after the injury to Tatum.
The center position will be an issue that Boston's Joe Mazzulla must deal with throughout the 2025-26 season. No one will question that it will be difficult for Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Chris Boucher to match the production. Missing the playoffs and adding a lottery pick in what could be a loaded draft wouldn't be the worst thing for the Celtics, though.
One way or another, Porzingis needed to go and Boston's front office has done as good of a job as any fan could have asked for in reshaping this roster to move forward with Brown and Tatum as the centerpieces for years to come.