NBA Notes: Celtics, Brad Stevens, Blazers, Scoot Henderson, cap situations

Celtics

Even before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the second round of last year’s playoffs, the Celtics were planning a reset.

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens told Jay King of The Athletic that Boston had already decided to shed salary to duck under the second tax apron and gain flexibility for the long term.

“What we were staring at was a bill like no one has ever stared at,” Stevens said. “Our owners have always been willing to spend, but it made sense to retool. Once you’re over those aprons, you lose flexibility.”

Boston moved on from Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, then lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency.

But the goal, Stevens said, was to bring in “young, hungry, high-character people who want to be part of something special.”

The Celtics still sit above the luxury tax line entering the new season, but remain comfortably below the second apron, giving the front office more trade freedom.

“It wasn’t the most fun summer,” Stevens said, “but part of the pain of going all in is giving yourself a chance to stay competitive around a young core.”

Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers locked in three of their young building blocks, picking up rookie-scale options on Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, and Kris Murray for the 2026-27 season.

Henderson’s fourth-year option is worth $13.6 million, while Clingan’s third-year is $7.5 million and Murray’s fourth-year comes in at $5.3 million, per the team announcement.

Henderson, the No. 3 pick in 2023, made progress in Year 2, averaging 12.7 points and 5.1 assists before a hamstring tear ended his season.

Clingan (6.5 points, 7.9 boards) will take on a larger role following Deandre Ayton’s departure, while Murray remains a defensive piece who’s still finding his offensive footing.

After extending Toumani Camara and Shaedon Sharpe earlier this week, the Blazers now have all their key young players under contract for at least two more seasons.

Cap Situations

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, 14 NBA teams will open the season as projected taxpayers. That number is likely to shift before the February deadline.

The Raptors, Nuggets, and Suns are among those hovering just above the line and could look to make small moves to dip below.

Meanwhile, Keith Smith of Spotrac broke down where every team stands relative to the salary cap, aprons, and tax thresholds. You can check that out here.