Celtics’ 3-1 collapse forces offseason questions around Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White
The Celtics' blown 3-1 lead will call for some offseason changes in Boston. However, their Big Three will make it hard to do that.
Celtics’ 3-1 collapse forces offseason questions around Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Celtics just went down in infamy , as they became the 14th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead.
They were also the first Celtics team to do so. With that in mind, the Celtics may look to make some massive changes this offseason to see what they can correct. However, they do have one massive roadblock: they’re just barely under the first apron .
Half their team salary is from two players © Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Jays, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, have been the superstar duo Boston has built around since 2020. With 11 All-Star appearances, six All-NBA selections, two ECF MVP’s and a Finals MVP between them, they’re a great core to build around. They were rewarded with two mega contracts: Brown received a five-year, $285 million extension in 2023 , and Tatum signed a five-year, $313 million in 2024 .
This created a big problem, though. Now, half the Celtics team salary is being used by only two players. Granted, they are franchise cornerstones, but it still hurts when trying to build a contender .