The Boston Celtics will make some major changes to their roster this summer. That was going to be the case regardless of how the team's playoff run turned out this season due to the team's salary cap situation, which has been widely discussed.
Electing which core member, or members, of the roster are moved this offseason is a decision that lies on the shoulders of Brad Stevens and him alone. It will be a difficult call to make as so many of the highly-paid players on their roster have been major contributors to their success over the last few seasons.
What we can say with certainty, however, is that one of Stevens' signings from the summer of 2024 has been an utter disaster, and the Celtics would have been better off not adding him to the fold at all.
Overpaid Celtics PF Xavier Tillman Robbed Boston Blind This Season
Let's get this out of the way: Tillman was signed to a two-year, $4.7 million contract in July of 2024 after Boston acquired the former Michigan State Spartans standout from the Memphis Grizzlies via trade for Lamar Stevens and a pair of future second-round picks. That is the veteran's minimum. The Celtics couldn't have paid him less than that number.
With that being said, paying Tillman the vet minimum for what he provided the team during the 2024-25 campaign was not worth the money. Tillman made 33 appearances for Boston this past season and averaged career lows in several statistical categories, including field goal percentage (24.5%), 3-point percentage (15.6%), points (1.0 per game), and rebounds (1.3 per game). To put it simply, that isn't good enough to be taking up a roster spot on what was thought to be a championship contender.
To make matters worse, Tillman is on the books for the 2025-26 season for just under $2.55 million. That money is also fully guaranteed, so simply waiving Tillman would provide Boston with no savings. Since there is nothing to indicate he will be a bigger piece of the puzzle moving forward, the Celtics are essentially stuck paying a player who, for one reason or another, cannot contribute to the team's success.
Boston will need to be smart with its money if it wants to contend for a playoff spot. It doesn't help that Jayson Tatum won't be returning to the lineup anytime soon, but his pay rate is going up exponentially as his five-year, $313.9 million extension kicks in at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Needless to say, the Celtics must make every dollar they spend count, and having Tillman on the payroll if this is all he can offer is a mistake Boston may be stuck living with for one more year.