The Celtics win bad news, half of Curry s annual salary will be thrown in vain? Luxury tax + core serious injury double critical hit!

On May 17, in the NBA playoff G6, the Celtics defeated the Knicks with a huge gap of 81-119 away, and were eliminated 2-4 in the series. However, the bad news is not only that, the Celtics will also face severe pressure on salary and luxury taxes. For no reason, you have to take out nearly half of Curry (Curry's salary this season is 55.76 million US dollars), and the team's financial burden can be imagined.

According to statistics, in the 2025-26 season, the Celtics are expected to have a salary of up to US$231 million, which is far beyond the second-rich line of US$207.8 million. The luxury tax alone is expected to have to pay US$263 million. What does this mean? In the future, the Celtics will have to pay an additional 25 million yuan in luxury tax for every player with an annual salary of 3 million yuan, and they will have to spend 28 million yuan inside and outside. You know, Curry’s salary this season is only $55.76 million, which is equivalent to half of Curry’s annual salary! This is simply a worse injury to the Celtics, who have just been eliminated. The luxury tax has not been resolved yet, and the core boss Tatum is injured again and is expected to rest for 7 to 9 months before he can return. You know, Tatum averaged more than 30 points per game last season, which definitely accounted for nearly 30% of the team's offensive firepower. With his injury, the Celtics' offensive end seemed to have been cut off by an arm, and for a long time he had to play under the pressure of "insufficient firepower". I can only say that the Celtics really fell into a double pit this time, and some of them have endured the next more than a year.

The Celtics want to break the deadlock, but now they have two ways: to bear the luxury tax and grit their teeth and gamble, or to dismantle the core lineup and completely reduce the burden. It is suitable for the situation where the existing lineup is still saved. For example, keep Tatum and Brown, use basic salary to pick up some practical veterans, and make do with another year. But the price is that you have to pay 3 or 4 yuan for every 1 yuan spent. Signing a player of 3 million is equivalent to throwing out a small amount of 30 million. If you still can't achieve results next season, the boss will suffer a lot, and the more you drag the tax, the heavier it will be. To dismantle the core lineup and reduce taxes, you have to make a thrill of both Tanhua. Tatum and Brown account for almost 40% of their salary, and giving away one can directly free up tens of millions of space. For example, putting Brown on the shelves and changing picks and expiration contracts will have a sharp drop in the short term, but it can completely break out of the luxury tax trap and leave a way out for the future. However, fans will definitely not buy it, and the management will also have to bear the infamy of "demolition of teams and reconstruction". Moreover, if Tatum can't lead a single core, the team may not be able to make a comeback for several years. To put it bluntly, the Celtics now have to choose between "betting on the present" and "protecting the future", and no matter how they choose, they will have to lose their skin. The Celtics are still here at the end of these years. The core combination of Tatum and Brown is only in their twenties, which is the golden age to achieve results. As long as it is adjusted properly, there will be a turning point in the future. The most important thing they have to clarify their ideas first: should they grit their teeth and then fight for a year with the existing lineup, or should they make up their minds to demolish the team and rebuild it? No matter which path you choose, the management must show decisiveness. As long as the team operates reasonably, it may bottom out and rebound next season. Everyone might as well give the Celtics some time to see how they deal with it next. Maybe they can really return to the championship after the adjustment. Let’s wait and see!