Top nine Celtics in place after team brings back Hauser, Kornet originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics basketball president Brad Stevens vowed to keep the core of his championship team intact next season. This weekend he did that quickly.
The Celtics plan to bring back their top nine players from the 2024 championship team after 1) activating a low-cost option for forward Sam Hauser and 2) agreeing to a one-year deal with the big in the opening minutes of free agency husband Luke Kornet.
Boston also reportedly signed backup big man Neemias Queta to a multi-year extension, bringing back another depth piece from last year’s title team.
Boston now has Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Hauser, Kornet and Queta all under contract for next season.
Just as Stevens promised.
“I don’t expect any major changes, at least not initially,” Stevens said last week. “Because I think this team deserves that.”
There is still some shaping to be done at the back of the selection. Oshae Brissett opted out of the final year of his pact last week, and the Celtics need to fill their two-way slots, including those of Drew Peterson and JD Davison last year. Brissett could return, but will have the opportunity to field outside offers while both sides consider a return.
But it certainly seems likely that the 2025 squad will look a lot like the 2024 champions.
“We continue to work on completing our squad for the coming season, but there is no doubt that we find its continuity very important,” said Stevens.
The Celtics, who are on the verge of being stuck on the second platform of a restrictive new collective bargaining agreement, have no means to add outside talent beyond a minimum salary. That puts a higher priority on retaining players from last year’s title team.
Boston activated a $2.1 million option on Hauser and can begin considering a potential long-term extension starting next month. Hauser is eligible for up to a four-year, $78 million extension, though any deal the team were to strike would likely be well below that number given the long-term money tied up in a pricey top-six. Hauser will be an unrestricted free agent after the season if an extension isn’t reached.
By re-signing Kornet, the Celtics are bringing back an important depth player. Kornet appeared in 63 games last season, including seven as a starter. The 7-foot-2 big man averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game.
The Celtics have declined an option on Queta. Queta was already in the main squad at the end of last season, but they brought him back as he proved to be a reliable option, especially when the team was struggling with injuries at the big man position.
With Porzingis sidelined for up to six months after leg surgery last week, Kornet could be crucial for the first two months of the regular season. The Celtics will proceed cautiously with 38-year-old big man Al Horford, and can eat up minutes by going small. But Kornet and Queta offer reliable big man options off the bench.
Both Kornet and midseason acquisition Xavier Tillman opted for free agency this summer, but the Celtics have their Bird Rights, which allow them to pay to keep both players on the roster at salaries higher than minimum contracts.
Stevens’ offseason to-do list is bolstered by potential long-term extensions for Tatum and White, but the team moved quickly to lock up Kornet with the goal of keeping the core intact next season.
With Hauser, Kornet and Queta on the roster, the Celtics have 12 players under contract for next year. Boston is expected to get back second-year forward Jordan Walsh and in-season acquisition Jaden Springer. Stevens drafted Creighton sharpshooter Baylor Scheierman as the final Round 1 pick of the 2024 draft (30th overall). Second-round pick Anton Watson (54th overall) could also get a chance to compete for a roster spot. Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk and two-way guard JD Davison are all unrestricted free agents this summer.
But one thing is clear: Much of the Celtics’ roster that completed the search for Banner 18 will get a chance to begin the trek to Banner 19.
