Celtics Re-Sign Xavier Tillman Sr, Preserving What's Now Less of a Luxury

The summer of spending continues for the defending NBA champions. On Monday, the Celtics reached a four-year, $125.9 million extension with Derrick White, and they signed Jayson Tatum to the most lucrative contract in league history, valued at a projected $314 million over five years.

A day later, Boston agreed to a two-year deal with Xavier Tillman Sr., per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Tillman's contract is fully guaranteed.

The former Michigan State standout is signing a veteran minimum pact worth an estimated $2.2 million for the upcoming season and $2.5 million for the 2025-26 campaign.

The Celtics make this move two days after re-signing Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta on the first day of NBA free agency. While having such quality depth and versatility at center is a luxury, it proved needed after Kristaps Porzingis dealt with multiple injuries in the playoffs.

The same is true for the start of next season, with the expectation being that the former All-Star will not return until November at the earliest and more likely to join Boston's quest for Banner 19 in December after undergoing surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. 

Throughout his career, Tillman Sr. has proven that even if he's not the first option at center, his team knows it can depend on him when called upon. The Celtics' Game 3 win over the Mavericks, which gave them a commanding 3-0 series lead, was a prime example.

The 25-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, buried a corner three as players on Dallas' bench chirped at him. He also made an impact on the glass, grabbing four rebounds, and demonstrated his defensive versatility, switching on to Luka Doncic and blocking his shot twice.

"It was difficult early on because your ego and your pride is in the way," Tillman Sr. told Inside The Celtics in an in-depth conversation a day later about learning to embrace and star in his role at basketball's highest level.

"You dream of yourself being this great big thing, and you want to be the star of the show and stuff like that. But when you realize that you have to be a star in your own role, I feel like that's when it becomes easier day in and day out."

That approach was a critical factor in Boston's decision to acquire Tillman at the trade deadline in February. "He plays the game for the right reasons," stated the franchise's president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, after doing so.

The Celtics have carefully cultivated a winning culture. They care a great deal about team chemistry and do their best to add people who will prove positive contributors to their work environment. The six-foot-eight, 245-pound power forward/center they acquired from the Grizzlies fits that bill.

"Don't be weird," was the message Joe Mazzulla delivered to him after Boston traded for Tillman. That memo helped ease his transition and allowed him to be comfortable upon arrival, aiding him as he acclimated to a new city and team.

Now the versatile member of the Celtics' front-court, who can operate as a stand-alone center or alongside another big and who is an effective screener, a smart decision-maker with the ball in his hands, and as the NBA Finals captured, has the potential to make even more of an impact when spaced in the corner, is under contract for two more years.

He'll be ready to step up in Kristaps Porzingis' absence, dependably filling the role that he's played throughout his NBA career. And while Al Horford shows no signs of slowing down, this deal could lead to Tillman becoming a rotation fixture after the 38-year-old center retires. His talent, character, and track record suggest he'll be ready for that too.