The Boston Globe. Getty Images.
What a day! Honestly, life has been a fever dream since the clock struck 0.00 on Game 5 of the NBA Finals. An actual title win, a parade, the death of Walter the Magic Pup (Rest in Peace), the Cornet/Cueta contract (just kidding but not true), Derrick White’s max contract extension starting today, finding out Wick is selling the team, and now Tatum’s contract extension. It’s been a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Giphy images.
Don’t ask me to do the math to explain why a team like the Celts can pay everyone $30+ million when other teams are just giving up key rotation players to get around the new apron rules in the CBA. Wouldn’t they be better off looking at guys like Brad Stevens and Mike Zarren? The Celts were ahead of the curve and made all of their moves and team composition decisions before these new restrictions were put in place, and now all they have to do is pay it. I don’t care how they do it because it’s not my money. All I care is that they’re willing to do it.
Plus, they’ll probably sell to an oil tycoon or something, so who cares what the future tax penalty is at this point? It could be $100 million, $200 million, $300 million, I don’t care. All I know is, when you have a player like NBA champion Jayson Tatum, you pay him and pair him with fellow NBA champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, NBA champion Derrick White, NBA champion Jrue Holiday, NBA champion Kristaps Porzingis, NBA champion Al Horford, etc. I trust smart people to think about the money side and I trust Brad Stevens to think about the roster part when the tough decisions need to be made.
But now? We celebrate.
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Just like Jaylen Brown was said to be worth his supermax contract, which was the highest contract in NBA history at the time, the same can be said about Jayson Tatum. I would even say he is still underpaid. If it were up to me, I would have given him $600 million. Because, you know, you have to remember that, despite what NBA Twitter wants you to believe, players like this don’t come easily because all the opposing fans are still so hurt that Jayson Tatum beat their favorite team so many times and became an NBA champion. Let’s be grateful for what we are witnessing.
The Celts’ main goals this offseason are pretty simple: bolster big man depth with KP out until Christmas (check), re-sign Derrick White before he hits the unrestricted free agent market (check), get a contract extension with Jayson Tatum (check), get a contract extension with Sam Hauser (in progress) and get a contract extension with Xavier Tillman (TBD).
So far, I can say that Brad has had a hell of a fun offseason. Everyone will take the White and Tatum extensions for granted, but I don’t care. It was Brad’s job to get the deals done, and he did. Derrick White could have signed another year and made over $10 million per season, but Brad kept him. Tatum’s extension is literally a formality, but it’s still awesome to see Shams screw up like that, considering the best duo in the NBA is under contract in the near future.
Jesse D. Garrabrant. Getty Images.
Long story short, regarding the sale of the Celts, that was a huge news story. I don’t know much about most things, but I understand buying low and selling high. I know the team said it was related to estate planning, but I’m going to say that’s a lie. I’ll tell you, our $200-300 million investment is now worth $5 billion or whatever, now might be the time to cash in. Wyoming has done nothing but back up the claim of financing a championship contender team, and as an owner who brought us two NBA titles in our lifetime, even though we had no titles before his group bought the team, I say take that money.
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In terms of who I want to buy the team, I’m not picky. Let the group with KG that tried to buy the Timberwolves buy it. Let Dave buy it.
It makes no difference to me. Just one request: Keep John Henry out of this sale. I’d rather the league own the Celts than that son of a bitch.
All I ask is that you keep taking the money from that asshole, no matter which billionaire or whatever group wins the sale, as long as this team is competing for a championship. I’m not familiar with the laws except bird law, so I don’t know if I can document it, but please do if you can. You have to be prepared to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in luxury taxes as long as this team is playing for the Larries.
I have to be honest with you. Aside from my sweet boy screaming at the ceiling last Sunday (Rest In Peace), the Celts winning the title was better than I could have ever imagined. And now, thanks to Brad Stevens’ maneuvering, the Celts are in prime position to win another one. We’re truly blessed.
