The NBA landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement fostering greater parity across the league. The era of simply stacking superstars appears to be fading, as roster depth has become paramount, and even one or two burdensome contracts can cripple a team’s flexibility and competitiveness.
This reality was underscored on a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, where Bill revived his classic “worst-contract draft” segment alongside Joe House and Wosny Lambre. The trio took turns selecting players saddled with the league’s most unfavorable deals—familiar names like Joel Embiid, Paul George, Zach LaVine, and others dominated the picks.
Strikingly, one powerhouse franchise was completely absent from the discussion: the Boston Celtics. Not a single Celtics player was drafted, or even seriously mentioned as a candidate. That omission speaks volumes louder than any championship banner hanging in TD Garden.
What truly distinguishes this Celtics team—and elevates Brad Stevens and his front office to elite status—is their masterful avoidance of waste. They’ve squeezed maximum value from every asset, built a deep, balanced, and relentlessly competitive roster, and remarkably done so while operating below the luxury tax threshold this season.
Boston’s payroll reflects smart, disciplined decision-making. The two cornerstone superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, command massive salaries, but their deals remain team-friendly relative to their production and impact. Derrick White’s four-year, $118 million extension looks increasingly reasonable—bordering on a steal given his two-way excellence.
Beyond that core, the value continues: Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are locked in on bargain contracts that provide elite shooting and energy off the bench. The rest of the rotation fills out with minimum deals, rookie-scale agreements, and low-cost contributors who punch above their weight.
The only notable exception is Nikola Vucevic, acquired at the trade deadline for $20.48 million this season. Yet even that move was shrewd—the Celtics offloaded Anfernee Simons’ larger commitment in the swap, and Vucevic’s deal expires soon, providing short-term frontcourt depth without long-term baggage.
Heading into the offseason, many assumed Boston would be in “sell” mode, perhaps taking a gap year after parting ways with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Those departures—driven partly by Jayson Tatum’s injury and cap considerations—were initially viewed as setbacks. In hindsight, they’ve proven astute basketball decisions as well.
Neither Holiday nor Porzingis has stayed healthy or performed up to their lofty extensions. Holiday has played well when available, but his age, mileage, and contract landed him in the worst-contract draft conversation. Porzingis’ availability issues have been even more pronounced. Boston’s front office anticipated the risks and acted decisively.
Far from wearing green-tinted glasses, this is simply the current reality. Every major move under Brad Stevens has aged gracefully, from roster construction to trade timing. The Celtics’ surprising (yet perhaps not-so-surprising) success this season stems from a front office that consistently operates one step ahead of the rest of the league.
In a salary-cap era defined by punishing bad deals and razor-thin margins for error, Boston’s clean slate—no bad contracts in sight—confirms their elite status. It’s not just about winning titles; it’s about building sustainably while everyone else scrambles to escape their own mistakes. That quiet dominance sends the loudest message in the NBA right now.