On Friday, the Boston Celtics celebrated their NBA championship with a parade through the city. Now, Brad Stevens and the front office must focus on the summer. Derrick White and Jayson Tatum are both extension-eligible. Both are expected to re-sign with the team on multi-year deals.
However, multiple players may go further down the roster to free agency. Stevens will likely pick up the team option on Sam Hauser, keeping him around for next season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
The futures of Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. are far less clear. Both will hit free agency this summer. Boston holds bird rights for both players.
Stevens may be forced to choose between the two big men. The Celtics already have Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford under contract. They can also retain Neemias Queta if they choose to pick up his team option. Therefore, there is likely only room for one other big man.
Kornet has been Joe Mazzulla’s third-choice center all season. Tillman joined at the Feb. 8 trade deadline but struggled to carve out a role for himself. He did, however, have some impressive performances in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. When speaking to Dan Roche of WBZ, Tillman admitted that he wanted to repeat with the Celtics next season.