The Celtics' stunning season has come to a close. They fell to the Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, coming up just shy of winning their 18th title in franchise history.
Boston had one of the most surprising seasons in the NBA this year, going from a team that was 25-25 through its first 50 games to finishing with the second-best record in the East.
With new head coach Ime Udoka at the helm, the Celtics stumbled out of the gate, but once all of the pieces started to click, they looked like one of the most dominant teams in the league.
Behind their star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a Defensive Player of the Year season from Marcus Smart, the emergence of Robert Williams III and the resurgence of Al Horford, Boston owned the league's best defensive rating and second-best net rating.
The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, defeated the Bucks in a grueling seven-game series in the East Semis and repeated that with another Game 7 win over the Heat in the Conference Finals to advance to their first NBA Finals in over a decade.
Boston jumped out to a 2-1 lead over the Warriors in the Finals, but it couldn't close out the series. Golden State went on to win the final three games to defeat the Celtics in six.
Boston isn't going anywhere, though. With their core group under contract until 2024-25, the Celtics shouldn't have as busy of an offseason as other teams, but there are still a few minor details to iron out.
(All salary figures are from Spotrac)
Celtics upcoming free agents
The Celtics do not have any major free agents this offseason. Tatum, Brown, Smart and Williams are all locked up, and Horford, Grant Williams and Derrick White are still under contract.
| Unrestricted free agents | Restricted free agents | Player option | Team option |
| Luke Kornet | Brodric Thomas | None | Sam Hauser |
| Matt Ryan | Juwan Morgan |
Celtics future salaries, roster
As mentioned above, with Tatum, Brown, Smart and Williams all signing contract extensions in the previous offseasons, the Celtics have their core group in place until at least 2024-25.
However, Boston will have to discuss the possibility of new contracts with Grant Williams and Horford.
| Player | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
| Jayson Tatum | $30.4 million | $32.6 million | $34.9 million | $37.1 million (PO) |
| Jaylen Brown | $27.2 million | $29.1 million | UFA | |
| Al Horford | $26.5 million (NG) | UFA | ||
| Marcus Smart | $17.2 million | $18.6 million | $20.0 million | $21.3 million |
| Derrick White | $16.9 million | $18.1 million | $19.3 million | UFA |
| Robert Williams III | $10.7 million | 11.6 million | 12.4 million | $13.3 million |
| Daniel Theis | $8.7 million | $9.1 million | $9.5 million (TO) | |
| Grant Williams | $4.3 million | RFA | ||
| Aaron Nesmith | $3.8 million | $5.6 million | RFA | |
| Payton Pritchard | $2.2 million | $4.0 million | RFA | |
| Juwan Morgan | $1.8 million (TO) | RFA | ||
| Sam Hauser | $1.6 million (TO) | RFA |
TO = Team option
NG = Non-guaranteed
RFA = Restricted free agency
UFA = Unrestricted free agency
Celtics 2022 NBA Draft picks
The Celtics do not own a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
At the trade deadline, the Celtics sent Josh Richardson and their 2022 first-round pick to the Spurs in exchange for White.
Boston does own its second-round pick, though. The Celtics will select with the 23rd pick in the second round (No. 53 overall).
One burning question
What will contract negotiations with Al Horford and Grant Williams look like?
The Celtics' front office has handled its most important tasks, as it already secured commitments from Brown and Tatum.
Prior to the start of the 2019 season, Brown signed a four-year, $119 million contract extension to remain with the Celtics through the 2023-24 season. Prior to the start of the 2020 season, Tatum signed a five-year max contract extension worth up to $195 million that will keep him in Boston through the 2024-25 season.
Before this past season, Boston made sure to lock up its two most impactful defensive players. Smart agreed to a four-year, $77.1 million deal that will keep him with the Celtics through the 2025-26 season. Rising center Robert Williams III also inked an extension before the season, landing a four-year, $54 million deal that will keep him on the same timeline as Smart.
Next up for Boston is figuring out what to do with Horford and Grant Williams this offseason.
Horford has one more year remaining on the contract he signed with the 76ers back in 2019. His $26.5 million salary is non-guaranteed for the 2022-23 season, but after a stellar postseason, don't be surprised if the Celtics present the veteran with a strong offer.
As for Williams, the 2019 first-round pick is eligible for his rookie contract extension this offseason. Williams had the most impressive year of his career, developing into one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA. He knocked down 41.1 percent of his 3-pointers while taking on the toughest of defensive assignments, including Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It's unclear how much money Williams will command, but he stars in his role in Boston. It's not farfetched to think he would take a slight discount to remain with the Celtics. He also has the option to wait and test restricted free agency in 2023.
With their cornerstones under contract, the Celtics only have to worry about retaining two key pieces of their rotation.
