The Boston Celtics have captured the NBA-record 18th championship in franchise history. After years of questions pertaining to how Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can coexist at the highest level, answers were provided in the form of Boston’s second championship of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the Celtics will now face the same daunting reality as every championship-winning team: Not all players can return the following season.
Boston, thankfully, has an opportunity to keep many of its core players in town. Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Tatum, and Derrick White are all signed through at least next season, meaning the opportunity to repeat as champions is viable.
With free agency looming and the unending pursuit of improvement often requiring teams to part ways with key role players, however, not everything will stay the same.
Tatum is eligible for an extension that can kick in as soon as 2025-26, and the Celtics will likely look to make one more splash this summer before they pay nearly $100 million per season to their two franchise players. Furthermore, both Horford and White will be eligible for free agency in 2026.
The question is: Which players could be casualties of the long-term vision to retain key talent and the short-term goal of improving an already elite roster during the summer of 2024?
Oshae Brissett, Player Option
It wasn’t long ago that Oshae Brissett was being heralded as one of the best success stories to emerge from the 2019 NBA Draft. Not only did the former Syracuse Orange standout go undrafted, but he worked his way up through the G League to become a productive player.
As Brissett enters unrestricted free agency, it stands to reason that he could be on the lookout for opportunities to prove he can get back to being the player he appeared to be.
Brissett averaged just 11.5 minutes per game over the course of his 55 appearances in 2023-24. It was a sharp decline from what he’d begun to show as a member of the Indiana Pacers, with which he appeared to have serious floor-spacing potential.
Brissett averaged 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 three-point field goals made in his 21 games played in 2021-22, shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
A season later, Brissett produced across a larger sample size, averaging 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 three-point field goals on 35.0 percent shooting from distance. As the Pacers added to their roster, however, he seemingly fell out of favor.
Brissett will now look for an opportunity to restore faith in his potential. At 26 years of age, there’s certainly time left for him to earn a more consistent role.
Luke Kornet, Unrestricted Free Agent
Arguably the biggest potential loss on this list would be unrestricted free agent Luke Kornet. The 28-year-old played spot minutes throughout the postseason, but his value would show depending on the matchup the Boston Celtics encountered.
That was on firm display against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he stepped in to provide strong contributions in multiple games of the 4-1 series win.
True as that may be, Kornet is an unrestricted free agent entering an offseason in which the center position is relatively thin on available players. As such, it’s possible that a team will take a chance on him with a contract that exceeds what the Celtics are able to offer.
It would leave a void that the Celtics would need to find a way to replace, especially if Oshae Brissett and Xavier Tillman walk, as well.
Kornet has endeared himself to many Celtics fans during his time with the franchise, which would make this a sad departure. The NBA has seen an influx of high-level big men, however, and Kornet’s defensive presence could net him a decent contract because of that fact.
No matter what traspires, Celtics fans can agree on one thing: The Kornet Kontest will live on in Boston fans’ memories.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Unrestricted Free Agent
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk played 41 games with the Boston Celtics during the 2023-24 regular season. He averaged 10.1 minutes per game, which declined to 4.0 minutes per contest once the postseason rolled around.
It’s possible that Mykhailiuk will re-sign with the Celtics and provide depth to the defending champions, but if playing time is his goal, this might not be the team for him.
Mykhailiuk, 27, has played for seven teams in six seasons in the NBA. His proficiency from beyond the arc has inevitably intrigued general managers in an era that’s emphasizing the three-point shot more than ever before—a fact that likely led the Boston Celtics to acquire him.
Mykhailiuk is a career 36.3 percent shooter from beyond the arc, but over the past two seasons, he sits at an elite 40.6 percent.
Boston re-signing the former Kansas Jayhawks standout would create perimeter depth. In the event that other key contributors depart this offseason, or players get hurt in 2024-25, he could provide value in a key area.
The more likely outcome, however, is that Mykhailiuk will sign elsewhere in an attempt to land a bigger role following a championship season.
Payton Pritchard, Under Contract
This is likely to be a controversial selection, as Payton Pritchard is signed through the 2027-28 season at an extremely cost-efficient rate. If the Boston Celtics make a trade to improve, however, Pritchard’s contract will be, perhaps, their greatest asset.
A sharpshooter who made just 18.7 percent of his three-point field goal attempts during the NBA Finals, Pritchard may prove expendable this summer.
Pritchard requested a trade in 2023, but was instead met with an increased role during the 2023-24 season. He played a career-high 22.3 minutes per game during the regular season, setting new career-best marks with 9.6 points and 1.8 three-point field goals made per game.
Rotations admittedly shrink during the playoffs, but Pritchard’s declining role in the postseason could result in further discontent. If that proves to be the case, then a trade could prove advantageous for both sides.
Even on an affordable deal, the last thing the Celtics need following a championship is a player who doesn’t necessarily want to be there. The last thing Pritchard needs is to feel as though his development is being stunted.
Xavier Tillman, Unrestricted Free Agent
This is really as simple as Xavier Tillman potentially having a chance to make more money and find a bigger role on the open market. He played well in the 13.7 minutes per game he was given by the Boston Celtics, but at 25, it’d be fair for him to want something more.
In the event that his ambition wins out this summer, it’s hard to imagine the Celtics being able to re-sign him.
Tillman, a second-round draft pick in 2020, earned $1,930,681 during the 2023-24 season. It was the fourth and final campaign of the four-year, $6,531,283 deal he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies after being drafted.
A quality defender who was impressively productive in his limited playing time, Tillman could look to cash out in a relatively thin free-agent market at the interior positions.
Tillman’s 2023-24 season averages translated to 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. It’s a fair representation of what he brings to the table as a capable passer who defends in an active manner.
It’s certainly possible that the Celtics could bring Tillman back, especially if Luke Kornet indeed walks, but it’s a hard sell when finances are as restricted as they are.
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