The Boston Celtics re-signed everyone. Is that a good idea?

The Boston Celtics are operating it again. In actual fact, they could simply be operating it again more durable than any workforce within the final 20 years.

With the singing of Sam Hauser to a four-year, $45 million contract extension on Sunday, the Celtics have now assured that their total championship top-nine will likely be returning for at the least subsequent yr. And so far as I can inform, that’s the primary time in at the least the final twenty years that has occurred. I couldn’t even discover a championship top-eight staying intact, not to mention a top-nine.

That’s just about unprecedented, and it’s price questioning if that’s truly a good suggestion. It’s additionally extra price questioning in the event that they actually had a alternative, and probably the most price questioning if it even issues proper now. I’m like 91.2 % positive it’s a good suggestion, however let’s play out all the varied conditions the Celtics have now gotten themselves into and see if we will determine it out. Break.

Simply so we’re all on the identical web page: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Vacation, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are all signed for at the least the subsequent 4 years, which is completely insane while you say it out loud. Kristaps Porzingis is below contract for the subsequent two, and Al Horford will likely be an unrestricted free agent subsequent summer season, as will Luke Kornet.

That’s the Celtics’ total related rotation. They’re more likely to lose Oshae Brissett to free company, a marginal contributor final yr, however retained Xavier Tillman who principally subsumed Brissett’s function within the playoffs. He was notably efficient in spots within the NBA Finals, which means that — for all intents and functions — the Celtics are principally protecting their top-ten.

Let’s begin with the enjoyable stuff. That’s superior, that is superior, I really like this, you’re keen on this, everybody loves this. These contracts are far more enjoyable than final summer season, which was the unlucky media feeding-frenzy across the Jaylen Brown extension, on the time the richest contract in NBA historical past. It’s not that Celtics followers didn’t just like the contract; most of us liked it. However none of it tasted as candy because it ought to have coming off a crushing Jap Convention Finals defeat.

However after successful the NBA Finals, this offseason has been dipped in a lot Nutella, powdered sugar, and topped with so many strawberries and cream that we’re principally making a 5-year-old’s perfect IHOP order. All the things is inherently superior, backed up by the infinite sunshine and lollipops of successful the NBA Finals. Kornet one-year deal? Epic. Tillman coming again? Spectacular. Derrick White and Jayson Tatum extensions on the identical day?! Somebody arrange one other Duck Boat parade.

Relying on the place you stand on the Official Celtics Love/Hate Spectrum — with “Sixties Los Angeles Lakers Fan” at one finish and “50-12 months Celtics Season Ticket Holder” on the opposite — you’ll in all probability see the flurry of extensions dramatically otherwise.

On the constructive finish, the Celtics simply gained the NBA Finals and are going to be the favorites to win it once more on the very least via November. When wholesome, they’re one of the best workforce, and whereas the Jap Convention has improved, it’s not precisely prime LeBron James arriving in Miami to subjugate the convention like some kind of morally-depraved sixteenth Century Conquistador, like he did in 2010.

Let’s take inventory: the Milwaukee Bucks are principally the identical, however Giannis Antetokounmpo does nonetheless undoubtedly exist. Paul George is now on the Philadelphia 76ers, which doesn’t assure them something however does make them rather a lot higher. Mikal Bridges is now on the New York Knicks, apparently seeking to show that reconstructing a school championship workforce within the NBA is the league’s best-kept secret. Once more, nothing is assured, however they’re additionally higher, which is the aim of groups that assume they’ve an opportunity.

The novel Celtics positivist would argue that none of these groups even have an opportunity, which I’d argue might be just a little an excessive amount of powdered sugar. Power invitations problem, and the remainder of the Jap Convention wasn’t nearly to fold within the face of a Celtics roster that, on paper, is completely cracked and isn’t going anyplace.

The Sixties Lakers followers amongst us will in all probability focus much less on the standard of the roster and extra on the completely bananas monetary scenario that is going to place the Celtics in. In 2025-26, as soon as all these extensions kick in, the Celtics will likely be operating by-far the very best payroll in NBA historical past, and nearly actually will likely be going over the NBA’s most-recently-established wage cap boogyman for 2 straight years: “The Second Apron.”

I don’t need to dwell on funds an excessive amount of, for the reason that sensible implications of this newfangled gadget — invented final offseason to stop overpowered superteams from present — haven’t but had time to play out, however right here’s the upshot. As a result of the Celtics will likely be exceeding a super-high quantity within the luxurious tax twice, they’ll solely be capable of make minute roster adjustments; restricted to the veteran minimal, first spherical and second spherical exceptions. Their first spherical decide may also be moved to the top of the primary spherical.

There was numerous hypothesis about how groups view this “Second Apron,” most of it saying it’s principally the NBA’s fancy model of a tough cap, meant to principally save the homeowners from themselves by offering such a colossal disincentive to overrun the posh tax that no one would do it. Not to mention twice in a row.

Effectively… it looks like the Celtics are going to do it. No matter settlement Brad Stevens and Wyc Grousbeck have behind the scenes appears to boil right down to “signal everyone no matter penalties after which determine it out later.” By doing so, their roster flexibility is principally zero, which — as long as every part stays sunshine and lollipops for the subsequent few years — shouldn’t matter.

This assertion is the 8.8 % that scares me. All the things seems superior now, however stuff tends to go incorrect within the NBA, irrespective of how nice every part may look on paper. Groups have gone all-in, constructed superteams, and flamed out so spectacularly that individuals are left questioning if the Brooklyn Nets ought to simply transfer again to New Jersey.

I’ve quoted former Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga many occasions as saying to Brad Stevens, “If we’re not making an attempt to enhance, we’ll cease being good,” as I actually imagine that remaining aggressive is the important thing to not getting handed by. However I take solace within the inevitability of all of it, as a result of what have been the Celtics going to do? NOT re-sign the traditionally nice workforce that simply gained the NBA Finals?

Whether or not or not this may wind up backfiring is a moot level, and it’s in all probability much less seemingly than different financially-hamstrung groups. The Celtics haven’t achieved this quote-unquote superteam by buying and selling draft picks. Their hardships are monetary, not materials, and whomever Grousbeck finally ends up promoting the workforce to will know the scenario they’re moving into. Additionally, if the Celtics need to commerce somebody so as to get below the Second Apron if issues go sideways, then will probably be a very good factor since… you understand, issues have gone sideways.

Seneca the Youthful stated {that a} man who suffers earlier than it’s essential suffers greater than is important. When issues are going nicely, we might as nicely simply wager on them persevering with to go nicely somewhat than freaking out a couple of yet-realized future. And for now, I select to eat the 5-year-old IHOP breakfast.