Projecting Landing Spots for Celtics' Top Free Agents

The Boston Celtics clearly aren't procrastinators.

What was supposed to be their biggest puzzle during the upcoming NBA offseason has already been solved. Jrue Holiday, who held a $37.4 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign, won't come anywhere near the open market after agreeing to a four-year, $135 million contract extension, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday.

With that item off the docket, Boston doesn't have many big-picture questions still to tackle. Getting Jayson Tatum's signature on a supermax extension is more of a when than an if, and while the franchise will need to eventually asses the viability of a big-money extension for Derrick White, the Celtics have time to make that decision since his current contract runs through next season.

As for the upcoming free agency period,

Sam Hauser (Team Option)

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 07: Sam Hauser #30 of the Boston Celtics attempts a layup against Kris Murray #8 of the Portland Trail Blazersduring the fourth quarter at the TD Garden on April 07, 2024 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

Boston leans heavier on the three-ball than any other team in the Association. As it should. While the Celtics attempt the league's most threes (42.6), they also make the most triples (16.5) and convert those long-range looks at the third-highest clip (38.8 percent).

This isn't living and dying by the three, it's thriving and dominating by it.

So, the minuscule $2.1 million team option on sharpshooter Sam Hauser, per Spotrac, sure feels like a no-brainer, doesn't it? Why wouldn't a team that takes this many perimeter shots want to pay a relatively tiny amount for a 6'8" wing who averages 2.4 threes on 42.7 percent shooting?

Simple answer: It would. And it will.

Prediction: Celtics pick up Hauser's team option.

Luke Kornet (Unrestricted)

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 07: Luke Kornet #40 of the Boston Celtics dunks and scores against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at the TD Garden on April 07, 2024 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

While the Celtics didn't leave their interior rotation entirely untouched this season, the fact they didn't feel the need to make a major move for more protection behind Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford could be viewed as a vote of confidence in Luke Kornet.

The 7'2", 250-pounder has more than held his own as a rotation regular and is quietly producing perhaps the finest season of his career.

His numbers won't blow you away—5.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 15.4 minutes—but his activity and efficiency are clear positives. His 69.9 field-goal percentage, for instance, is tops on the team by a wide margin. His 19.0 player efficiency rating, per Basketball-Reference, easily surpasses the metric's average of 15.0. His minus-2.9 net differential, per NBA.com, doesn't sound great, but it's essentially just a reflection of how good the bigs in front of him are, since his net rating is a robust plus-9.4 points per 100 possessions.

He is someone the Celtics should want to keep. The question is whether they can afford him. They'll be in the second apron next season, so they'll have to carefully manage their finances, particularly when it comes to fleshing out the roster around their stars. Kornet is helpful to have, but is he a necessity? That probably hinges on how the market views him.

Prediction: Kornet signs with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Xavier Tillman (Unrestricted)

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ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 28: Xavier Tillman #26 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 28, 2024 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

At the trade deadline, the Celtics parted with Lamar Stevens and a pair of future second-round picks to pry Xavier Tillman out of Memphis. Boston should be generally pleased with how he has played since.

His offensive game can be hit or miss, but he enhances this frontcourt's versatility on defense. He can toggle between the 4 and 5 spots while possessing enough mobility to keep up with perimeter players and enough strength to bang with bigs. He also offers a bit of defensive playmaking as a career supplier of nearly three combined steals and blocks per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference.

Since he doesn't have great size (6'8") or much shooting range (26.3 percent from deep for his career), he can be a bit of a tricky fit on offense. A team with as much starpower as the Celtics can work around that. Clubs without the same kind of offensive weaponry could find that more challenging.

Through that lens, it might be harder for him to get a sizable pay raise than it is for Kornet, which could wind up settling this debate for Boston. If Kornet finds more money than the Celtics are willing to pay, Tillman could loom as the more cost-efficient option to keep, and since he's younger (and theoretically still developing) and more versatile on defense, it's possible he could wind up handling a bigger role than Kornet has filled.

Prediction: Tillman re-signs with the Celtics.