The Boston Celtics have endured a busy start to the offseason. Brad Stevens signed Mike Conley Jr and Mitchell Robinson at the start of free agency. He also opted to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for Paul George and draft capital.
However, Boston may not be done reshaping its roster. According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Celtics are the ideal landing spot for Jonathan Kuminga. The explosive forward is currently an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option for next season.
“Boston Celtics team president Brad Stevens has made it his mission to add rim pressure over the offseason,” Favale wrote. “That largely explains Beantown’s dalliance with Giannis Antetokounmpo.”
Favale continued.
“Though Boston cannot count on Kuminga for lights-out spacing, it has the stretch elsewhere to open up the floor for his drives and isos. The Celtics would still be betting on his improvement as a rebounder and defender, but he showed progress last season in the former department.”
Kuminga joined the Hawks midway through the 2025-26 season. He suited up for 16 regular-season games for the franchise, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Nevertheless, it’s clear he didn’t do enough to convince the Hawks to keep him around.
Celtics Unlikely to Pay Kuminga
Despite Favale’s reasoning, it’s unlikely the Celtics will pull off the addition of Kuminga. Boston is currently $8 million under their first apron, where they’re hard-capped after using the full non-taxpayer mid-level-exception to acquire Robinson.
Kuminga is likely to command more than Boston can offer in terms of salary. So, unless the 23-year-old forward is willing to sign a minimum-level deal on what would be a “prove it” deal, he’s likely to get better offers from elsewhere in the league.
While there’s no denying Kuminga is an exciting young talent, and would fit the Celtics system, it’s hard to envision how they could afford him at this juncture of the offseason.
Celtics Goal Will Be To Duck Luxury Tax
Boston’s primary goal this season will be to end the year under the tax line. Last summer, Brad Stevens set the wheels in motion for Boston to reset the repeater tax. That goal is a two-year plan, as a team must be under the tax for two straight years in order to reset the additional costs.
Therefore, whatever moves Boston makes between now and the trade deadline will likely be with their salary cap sheet in mind. Of course, Boston will make moves it feels improve the roster, but those moves will also come with the caveat of trimming costs.
Assuming Stevens is successful in resetting the repeater, we should expect the Celtics to begin spending heavily next summer. So, while it’s tough to hear right now, the logical path forward will be to find cost-controlled value pickups. That’s why adding Kuminga feels like wishful thinking.
Boston’s roster may be as close to set as possible. It’s already deeper and more dynamic than the one that went into last season. And, for that reason, Stevens may not feel any urgency to make additional changes.
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