Celtics’ Brad Stevens Talks Jaylen Brown, Draft, Financial Flexibility: ‘We Knew This Was Coming’

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had plenty to cover during his post-draft media availability Wednesday night, from new first-rounder Hugo Gonzalez to the franchise’s shifting financial posture.

But top of mind were updates on injured stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Stevens told reporters he’s pleased with Tatum’s progress following Achilles surgery but emphasized the team is taking a deliberate approach.

“We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time,” Stevens said, via The Associated Press. “It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. That will be in consultation with him … and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy.”

Brown, who recently underwent a minor procedure on his right knee, has already returned to the Celtics’ facility for light work, including ball handling and finishing drills around the rim.

The updates come as the Celtics pivot toward a new phase of roster management. In recent days, Boston agreed to trades involving veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — both key contributors to the 2024 title run — in a calculated effort to regain financial flexibility and duck the league’s second tax apron.

“The biggest thing is there clearly is a need to prioritize regaining our flexibility,” Stevens said, per The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. “Maximizing from an assets standpoint what we can. As far as whatever moves those are a part of, those are all separate, hard, and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you’re in the right position. We knew this was coming.”

Shedding the contracts of Holiday and Porzingis drops the Celtics below the second apron threshold, a key line under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. That gives the Celtics more room to maneuver, as they now can aggregate salaries in trades, send out cash, and use trade exceptions. The franchise is projected to save nearly $200 million in luxury taxes.

Still, Stevens downplayed the idea that cost-cutting was the driving factor.

“Our owners are committed to spending,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that go into these moves … The second apron basketball penalties are real, and I’m not sure I understood how real until they were staring me in the face in the last month. I do think that can’t be overstated.”

Boston isn’t tearing it down but the front office is clearly shifting gears after going all-in last season. With Tatum and Brown recovering and the second apron no longer looming, the Celtics are setting the stage for a more flexible, sustainable path forward.

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