Grading Celtics' Biggest Moves from 2023 NBA Offseason

The Boston Celtics had a busy 2023 NBA offseason.

Busier than many have expected from a club that had made three of the past four Eastern Conference Finals.

Of course, that success could be the reason why the Shamrocks stayed active this summer. This group has yet to experience its championship breakthrough, so the Boston brass may have felt change was needed to try to make that happen.

What did this activity do for the team? We'll get that definitive answer next season, but for now, we can assess the team's biggest moves and grade them from a value perspective.

Acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis

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Boston, MA - June 29: Boston Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis holds up his number eight Celtics jersey at his introductory press conference, flanked by head coach Joe Mazzulla and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Trade: Kristaps Porziņģis, the No. 25 pick and a future first to Boston in a three-team trade that cost Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala and a second-round pick

The Analysis: Barring any Damian Lillard or James Harden deals, this stands as the summer's biggest stunner.

The idea of the Celtics moving forward without Marcus Smart is jarring alone. In addition to being the team's longest-tenured player, he's also been Boston's best defender, emotional leader and top table-setter. There are on- and off-court risks in letting him go, even if the Celtics felt they had enough backcourt depth to cover his absence.

Sending him out for Kristaps Porziņģis—and the two picks—is fascinating. Boston clearly wanted to get bigger and did, bringing aboard the 7'3", 240-pounder. His injury history is all kinds of worrisome, but he did stay mostly healthy this past season (65 games) and showed what kind of an impact presence he can be when he does.

The 28-year-old netted an efficient 23.2 points on 49.8/38.5/85.1 shooting while grabbing 8.4 rebounds, drilling 2.1 triples and blocking 1.5 shots. Those are great numbers, particularly for someone now tasked with being a team's third option.

The risks are real here—both with Smart's subtraction and Porziņģis' availability—but the reward could be quite rich.

The Grade: B-

Extending Jaylen Brown

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Cambridge, MA - July 26: Boston Celtics SG Jaylen Brown answers questions from the media after signing his supermax contract extension. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Extension: Five years, $304 million

The Analysis: Because max salaries are determined by percentages of the cap, they are constantly climbing. Even still, it's a bit jarring to think of Jaylen Brown signing the richest pact in NBA history.

He is a really good player, but is he a great one? That's debatable, as his handles are too loose and his defense isn't the most consistent you'll find.

For the Celtics to see return on this investment, they need to see more growth. That's certainly possible, though Brown, who turns 27 in October and has seven seasons under his belt, might just be who he is. Again, his talent is unquestioned, but making this kind of money ups the pressure to perform.

Boston likely felt that was a wager it had to make. Brown almost certainly wasn't extending for less than the max, so not offering it could have been akin to showing him the exits and really having to retool this roster.

Keeping him around—and alongside Jayson Tatum—is smart, even if he could have trouble living up to this pay rate.

The Grade: C+

Sign-and-Trading Grant Williams

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 29: Grant Williams #12 of the Boston Celtics arrives prior to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on May 29, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The Trade: Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks for two second-round picks

The Analysis: The seeds of Grant Williams' subtraction were sown long before he entered restricted free agency.

For reasons perhaps known only to Celtics skipper Joe Mazzulla, Williams wasn't always a major part of their 2022-23 rotation. On occasion, he was left out of the mix entirely.

His shrinking role made a return to Boston unlikely, provided someone ponied up any significant cash to sign him. The Dallas Mavericks delivered that with a four-year, $54 million deal. With a few second-rounders sent back to Boston in a three-team sign-and-trade, the 24-year-old was out the door.

The Celtics couldn't pay that much for someone who'd be their fourth big, but they lost an asset that they effectively devalued first. There aren't a ton of players who can match Williams' combination of defensive versatility and outside shooting (career 37.9 percent), so losing a valuable archetype and collecting just two second-rounders in return is a disappointing outcome.

The Grade: D+