Why a Celtics series loss to the Knicks could have massive ramifications this offseason

LAST SUMMER, AFTER the duck boats had paraded done downtown Boston, the confetti had been swept, the cigars had been smoked, and the photos with the trophy taken, lone past was it clip for business.

On Monday morning, July 1, 10 days aft the Boston Celtics' title celebration, squad politician Wyc Grousbeck shocked the NBA satellite erstwhile helium announced his household was putting the controlling involvement successful the franchise up for sale.

Even so, the Celtics, loaded with in-their-prime talent, ran it each back. They kept their roster intact and pressed the state pedal down, chasing a repetition and a 19th banner.

They won 61 games successful the regular play and sailed done the archetypal circular of the playoffs successful 5 games. The program was, and is still, to triumph for the adjacent six weeks -- and past code the concern aft different parade.

But the Celtics look an unexpectedly captious Game 3 connected Saturday day astatine Madison Square Garden, stunningly down 2-0 successful their league semifinal bid with the New York Knicks.

If the Celtics can't pivot successful this bid -- particularly reversing their untimely shooting slump that has seen them miss a whopping 75 3-pointers implicit the archetypal 2 games successful blowing back-to-back 20-point second-half leads -- their continued viability arsenic a radical volition abruptly beryllium successful question.

No substance however this play played out, this radical of champion Celtics faced an uncertain aboriginal due to the fact that of however overmuch it would outgo to support that team, masterfully constructed by squad president Brad Stevens, intact.

THE CELTICS ARE being sold to a radical led by capitalist Bill Chisholm astatine a valuation of much than $6 billion, a record-setting transaction that thrilled NBA powerfulness brokers and made everyone consciousness bully astir the wellness of the league.

Chisholm, a lifelong Celtics instrumentality and Massachusetts native, has reportedly been forming a conjugation to portion unneurotic the financing of the elephantine purchase.

When it is settled, it seems wide that the Celtics, who were past sold for just $360 cardinal much than 20 years ago, volition person a massively much costly owe to service.

The Celtics knew their contiguous and aboriginal were tied to two-way helping stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they wanted to marque definite the duo was locked into semipermanent contracts. That portion of the readying was executed arsenic planned. Brown signed successful 2023 and past Tatum did the aforesaid successful 2024 to deals that would support them with the Celtics until the extremity of the decennary astatine a combined outgo of much than $600 million.

Dating backmost astatine slightest 3 years, arsenic the caller corporate bargaining statement betwixt squad owners and the players' relation was taking shape, the Celtics identified 2025 arsenic a pinch point.

We are weeks distant from that point, nary substance what happens connected the court, due to the fact that Tatum's caller declaration kicks in, and the Celtics volition look being a alleged "repeater" luxury taxation payer.

There is 1 pending escaped cause among the existent Boston core, beloved seasoned large antheral Al Horford, who is successful the last play of his contract. Everyone else, from guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday -- some of whom signed their ain extensions successful 2024 -- to halfway Kristaps Porzingis and Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard, are nether declaration into the future.

Normally, this would beryllium celebrated arsenic savvy management. If you person a large squad assembled, you bash immoderate you tin to support it together. Stevens and his beforehand bureau person done so.

But the modern NBA presents much analyzable problems than adjacent adept roster-building tin solve.

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Jaylen Brown: 'Our discourtesy fto america down'

Jaylen Brown addresses the Celtics' late-game decision-making successful their Game 2 loss.

AND THAT'S WHERE the elephantine fig comes from. Floating retired determination for the past year, it is staggering and historic.

Even if Horford doesn't re-sign -- helium doesn't program to discontinue and would similar to return, sources said -- Boston is facing a payroll, with luxury taxes, adjacent play of $464 million, according to ESPN beforehand bureau insider Bobby Marks.

If the Celtics clasp their first-round prime -- and, frankly, they request to due to the fact that they are hopeless for the inexpensive declaration the enactment would supply -- and past capable retired their roster with minimum salaries, the squad payroll crosses the $500 cardinal mark.

Last season, the Celtics acceptable a grounds for revenue, acknowledgment to the tally to the rubric and 4 rounds of location playoff games. Losing Game 4 successful Dallas past year, aft they had a 3-0 lead, was a multimillion-dollar boon, arsenic the Celtics clinched successful beforehand of their location fans with a lucrative location Finals game. It helped boost the franchise's gross to astir $450 million, according to a study by Sportico.

You don't request a postgraduate grade from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, arsenic Chisholm does, to recognize the processing mathematics problem.

That fiscal tempest has mostly churned offshore during this Celtics season. The squad hasn't had conversations with subordinate agents astir aboriginal spending changes, aggregate sources said, and the strategy to support the absorption connected the tribunal has been purposeful.

The Celtics players' families are precise tight-knit, fostered from heavy playoff runs and roster continuity since the extremity of COVID-19.

Stevens and his unit person sought to support the ownership uncertainty disconnected the players' minds arsenic they effort to triumph different banner, and person succeeded successful doing so, according to those connected and astir the team.

Earlier this season, NBA teams got precise bully quality erstwhile the league considerably raised its indebtedness limit, from $275 cardinal each to $425 cardinal each acknowledgment to its caller 11-year, $77 cardinal media rights deals that volition statesman adjacent fall.

That bought each team, including the Celtics, a cushion to upwind losses if they wanted to usage it.

In February, Fitch Ratings boosted the NBA's recognition standing from "A-minus" to "A." Don't interest astir the NBA owners.

But if the Celtics don't marque it retired of this second-round gathering with the Knicks -- and neglect to support their rubric conscionable arsenic the past 5 NBA champions person done truthful -- the grade of fallout is uncertain. Expensive consultants aren't needed to counsel against spending $500 cardinal connected a roster that didn't instrumentality to the league finals.

That won't beryllium and shouldn't beryllium connected the minds of the Celtics players, but marque nary mistake that the chatter crossed the league astir the existential menace this Celtics squad faces volition lone summation with each loss, a overmuch much superior effect than however it mightiness impact players' and coaches' reputations, legacies and immoderate different specified sound that usually fills the NBA ecosystem each spring.