Celtics Face ‘Unique’ Offseason as Brad Stevens Weighs Cost of Contention

What that means exactly? Well, Stevens didn’t say much. But what he did say was telling.

“There are several basketball penalties that come with that amount of salary,” the Celtics president of basketball operations said. “So we just have to weigh it all and make those decisions, and I’ll have more clarity after we meet and talk and go through it.”

Translation: Boston’s luxury-tax bill is massive, the second apron is looming, and hard decisions could be on the table.

Stevens, speaking just days after Boston’s postseason exit, didn’t tip his hand on whether any core changes are coming. But he did make one thing clear: the priority remains chasing banners, not cutting corners.

“You have to do what’s best to give yourself the best opportunity to [contend] when you can do that,” Stevens said. “We just have to look at it all and decide how feasible that is in any given year and make sure we’re making the decisions accordingly.”

One big wrinkle? Jayson Tatum’s injury. While Stevens didn’t mention it directly, there’s no ignoring the fact that their franchise cornerstone may not be 100% At any point next season. That alone could shape how aggressive—or cautious—the front office is willing to be.

“I like to give everybody a few days to take a deep breath, because you don’t want to make decisions that are rash or emotional,” Stevens said. “And we’ve got a lot to sift through and sort out and think about, and we’ll do that.”

In short, the Celtics have decisions to make—big ones. And while Stevens sounded calm, there’s real tension underneath. Boston’s roster is stacked, but with cap penalties kicking in, the path forward might not be as straightforward as their record suggests.

Bottom line: Contending comes with a cost, and the Celtics are about to find out just how much they’re willing to pay.