How Celtics owners blowing up $500 million roster is in the hands of Jalen Brunson and Knicks

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks will be a difficult matchup for the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics in the 3nd round.

How Celtics owners blowing up $500 million roster is in the hands of Jalen Brunson and Knicks

Celtics can stave off breaking their team up if they defeat Jalen Brunson and the Knicks (Image via Firstsportz)

The Boston Celtics easily finished their first-round playoff battle against the Orlando Magic. Now, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and their deep roster will face Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks after they defeated the Detroit Pistons 4-2.

The Knicks were supposed to be one of the best teams in the East. That was the hype generated after they traded for star players Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. They managed to finish third after the other teams elevated their performances.

They know heading into this series, they will face a deep roster who have answers for every situation. On top of that, the Knicks have had a terrible run of games against top playoff teams in the regular season. But the way Brunson and his teammates have elevated their game in the playoffs, they could turn some heads.

Last season, injuries stopped the Knicks from continuing their stellar run. This time, they are healthy and have the experience to take the fight to the reigning champions. Jalen Brunson continued to show that he is a superstar who can lead his team to wins.

He led all scorers with a stellar 40-point, 7-assist outing. Most importantly, he hit the game-winning three-pointer, further shedding any doubts that, as a small guard, he is not good enough to lead his team to contend for titles. On the other hand, the Boston Celtics know everyone is coming for their crown.

They first need to stop the Knicks from ending their title defense this early. After all, the team has been assembled to fight for multiple titles. They won it last year and want to win it this year before their new owner, Bill Chisholm, takes over and dismantles this roster.

Boston Celtics cannot sustain annual $500 million bill

Bill Chisholm completed the purchase of the Boston Celtics from Wyc Grousbeck and his family for $6.1 billion. He is the Chief Investment Officer of STG Partners, which means he has a keen sense of finance. But any casual basketball fan would know that his new team has an annual wage bill that is not feasible.

After handing out approximately $300 million to both their leading superstars, the previous owners also signed off on deals worth millions to other players. They are now staring at a wage bill of $227 million next season. Along with a tax bill of $238 million, the combined outlay, including cap holds for the 2025-26 season, will be close to $500 million.

On top of that, they have already breached the 2nd Apron in the past two seasons. That means they will lose draft picks, and the league will impose restrictions on in-season trades. All of this has the Celtics brass thinking about blowing up the roster, as ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed.

The rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come to the Celtics from their roster this offseason. Sources have been telling me for weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the offseason. This iteration is not going to be sustainable.

Shams Charania stated

Charania made it clear that the Boston Celtics knew what they were taking on when they traded for Jrue Holiday. At the same time, they were also aware of what they were doing when they handed Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum $300 million contracts. But heading into next season, it might all change.

Celtics’ current core have to win against Jalen Brunson to continue NBA title defense

The current Boston Celtics roster will not be the same next season. That is the only way the organization can sustainably compete for years to come. They cannot pay everyone and expect it not to have repercussions.

Boston Celtics roster will look different next season
Boston Celtics roster will look different next season (Image via Open Source/X)

The current CBA ensures fairness, which is why this is the last time this group will compete for a championship together. The players might already be aware that some of them might be playing elsewhere next season.

Therefore, they will look to ensure that Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks do not help the new owner start dismantling the team early. The longer they play in these playoffs, the greater is the chance for them to add to their legacy before reality strikes.

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