Boston Celtics Begin Major Roster Overhaul, Five Key Players Depart
July 6, 2025…
In a stunning turn of events, the Boston Celtics have officially announced the departure of five major contributors from their 2024 championship team today, signaling a dramatic pivot in roster strategy.
The first to go was Jrue Holiday, traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks (en.as.com). Holiday, a cornerstone of Boston’s 2024 success and known for his elite perimeter defense, departs armed with $72 million over two seasons off the Celtics’ books—a move that slashes luxury-tax burdens by approximately $40 million (en.as.com).
Shortly thereafter, Kristaps Porziņģis was included in a three‑team deal sending him to the Atlanta Hawks. Boston received Georges Niang plus a second-round pick, aiming to further lighten their financial load (sbnation.com). Porziņģis, often beset by injuries, gave the Celtics spacing and rim protection but carried a hefty $30.7 million expiring contract for 2025–26 (en.wikipedia.org).
Today’s free-agency moves continued the trend, with Luke Kornet signing a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs. A fan favorite off the bench, Kornet averaged 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 block per game, earning his first significant payday (talksport.com).
Rounding out the departures are splashy cuts: veteran forward Grant Williams is set to sign elsewhere, reportedly the Dallas Mavericks, after serving as a key glue player (victorian.nuigalway.ie). And Al Horford, now 39, is expected to test free agency as Boston fully embraces a championship reset (africa.espn.com).
🏀 What this means for the Celtics:
- Financial flexibility: These moves free up substantial luxury‑tax space—about $180 million saved by shedding Holiday, Porziņģis, Kornet, and Williams combined (clutchpoints.com).
- To the core: With Jayson Tatum out long-term recovering from a torn Achilles, the team is entering a transitional phase, putting future depend heavily on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White (clutchpoints.com).
- Youth infusion: Boston’s recent draft pick Amari Williams may see an increased role amid the void left in the frontcourt by Kornet and Horford (aseaofblue.com).
Looking ahead, Celtics president Brad Stevens has emphasized that retaining veteran leadership, especially Derrick White and perhaps bringing Horford back, remains a priority . Still, this aggressive cost-cutting and roster shake-up clearly signals Boston is betting on a mini-reset—leveraging draft capital and cap space to rebuild around their twin All-Stars.
As the dust settles on the biggest Celtics roster overhaul since their 2024 title run, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if this gamble yields long-term relevance—or if Boston risks entering a multi-year rebuilding process.
