Celtics Winners and Losers from 2023 NBA Free Agency
The Boston Celtics didn't have the busiest 2023 NBA offseason by volume, but in terms of substance, they rattled the hoops world like few other teams.
It was a quality over quantity type of summer.
Longtime leader and defensive dynamo Marcus Smart was sent packing in a trade that delivered 7'3" unicorn Kristaps Porziņģis. Boston later worked out an extension with swingman Jaylen Brown that held historic significance.
Amid these massive moves, two clear winners and one loser emerged.
Winner: Jaylen Brown
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Jaylen Brown had a generally successful 2022-23 season, but it ended on such a sour note, it was fair to wonder whether that might drop the curtains on his Shamrocks' career.
His play in the Eastern Conference finals was so choppy, it was uncomfortable to watch at times. In addition to posting a grisly 41.8/16.3/66.7 shooting slash, he also averaged more turnovers (3.6) than assists (3.4) in the series.
But when Boston's brass hit the negotiating table as Brown became extension-eligible, the Celtics focused not on those seven games but the seven seasons that preceded them. Through that lens, his two-way impact was far too great to let go. When he put pen to paper on a new deal, he wound up signing the richest contract in NBA history.
The 26-year-old must keep making strides—namely, with his handles, playmaking and defensive consistency—to justify the massive payout, but Boston clearly thinks there are higher levels he can reach.
Loser: Luke Kornet
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Since the Celtics didn't make a ton of moves, there weren't a ton of potential losers to pick from. Even this selection is more speculative than anything.
Saying that, though, Boston's pickup of Porziņģis could be bad news for Luke Kornet.
After shattering his previous career-high with 69 appearances this past season, Kornet's outlook took a turn for the worse. His $2.4 million salary for next season is non-guaranteed, and the Celtics may not want to shoulder that expense for someone who would be their fourth-best center.
It's still possible Kornet sticks around, as Boston's other bigs have concerns in terms of injuries (Porziņģis, Robert Williams III) and aging (37-year-old Al Horford). Even then, though, the Celtics could decide Kornet's roster spot would be better served by adding depth somewhere it doesn't have three starting-caliber players already.
Winner: Payton Pritchard
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After logging just under 20 minutes a night as a rookie, Payton Pritchard saw his floor time fall in each of the two seasons since. His shrinking role weighed on him to the point he was hoping for a scenery change at the trade deadline.
Turns out, a change of address form may not be needed for the scoring point guard to get his career back on track.
With Smart off the roster, Boston cleared up 32.1 minutes per game from its backcourt congestion. The Celtics still have two other, more established players who can run point in Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon, but since they also will be needed to soak up minutes behind Brown at the 2, that should leave Pritchard with a defined, consistent role at the 1.
That's all he's been looking for the past few seasons, and he didn't have to leave his current digs to find it.
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