The Celtics’ championship core isn’t going away.
Fresh off winning the 2024 NBA title, Boston made two key transactions on Monday. The Celtics signed star forward Jayson Tatum and shooting guard Derrick White to contract extensions. Both were eligible to sign new deals on July 1, and general manager Brad Stevens wasted no time in signing two key members of his championship team.
Tatum is coming off another sensational season in Boston. The 26-year-old averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in the regular season, shooting 47.1 percent from the field. In the playoffs, he averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists en route to the title.
White was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive season. The 29-year-old guard averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 46.1 percent shooting from the field in the regular season. In the postseason, White averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
These two signings secure the Celtics’ starting five until the 2025-26 season.
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Celtics salary cap space
The Celtics’ two most recent deals have no salary-cap impact for next season. The extensions for White and Tatum begin at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, when their current contracts expire.
So let’s look ahead to next year. Boston has a 2025-26 quintet of Tatum, White, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis locked in. Those five alone will cost nearly $200 million combined.
Aside from those five, only Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh have signed contracts for next season. That leaves very limited cap space for Boston to work with. That said, it does give the Celtics the deepest starting five in the league, as evidenced by their 2024 NBA championship.
Boston Celtics roster
As mentioned, White and Tatum’s extensions have no impact on the upcoming NBA season. The two extensions will not take effect until the 2025-26 season, as both members of Boston are in the final year of their current contracts.
Here’s a look at what each current Celtics player will be paid in 2024:
| Player | Salary cap |
| Jaylen Brown | $49,205,800 |
| Jayson Tatum | $34,848,340 |
| Jrue’s Vacation | $30,000,000 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | $29,268,293 |
| Derrick Blanco | $18,821,429 |
| Al Horford | $9,500,000 |
| Payton Pritchard | $6,696,429 |
| Jaden Springer | $4,018,363 |
| Neemias Queta | $2,162,606 |
| Lucas Kornet | $2,092,344 |
| Sam Hauser | $2,800,834 |
| Jordan Walsh | $1,891,857 |
| Total | $191,842,980 |
The same can’t be said for next season. While Jaylen Brown is the highest-paid player on the roster right now, Tatum will take that honor in the 2025-26 season. White’s placement on the roster in terms of salary commitment will not change, and he will remain the fifth-highest salary-impact player for 2025-26.
| Player | Salary cap |
| Jayson Tatum | $54,126,450 |
| Jaylen Brown | $53,142,264 |
| Jrue’s Vacation | $32,400,000 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | $30,731,707 |
| Derrick Blanco | $28,100,001 |
| Payton Pritchard | $7,232,143 |
| Neemias Queta | $2,349,578 |
| Ricky IV’s advice | $2,221,677 |
| Total | $210,303,820 |
Jayson Tatum’s contract details
Tatum’s contract is for five years and is worth up to $314 million, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. That makes it the largest contract in NBA history, surpassing the extension signed by Brown last year.
Tatum was eligible for a supermax deal after earning First Team All-NBA honors in each of the past three seasons.
The deal will kick in with the 2025-26 season and is worth an estimated $54.1 million and will keep Tatum in Boston through at least the 2028-29 season, with a player option for the 2029-30 campaign.
Here are the estimated annual figures from the Tatum deal (all figures via Spotrac):
| Season | Age | Salary |
| 2024-25 | 26 | $34,848,340 |
| 2025-26 | 27 | $54,126,380 |
| 2026-27 | 28 | $58,456,490 |
| 2027-28 | 29 | $62,786,601 |
| 2028-29 | 30 | $67,116,711 |
| 2029-30 | 31 | $71,446,822 |
Derrick White’s contract details
Tatum’s contract is for four years and worth up to $125.9 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal will kick in with the 2025-26 season and is worth an estimated $28.1 million and will keep White in Boston through at least the 2027-28 season, with a player option for the 2028-29 campaign.
Here are the estimated annual figures from the White settlement (all figures via Spotrac):
| Season | Age | Salary |
| 2024-25 | 30 | $20,071,429 |
| 2025-26 | 31 | $28,100,001 |
| 2026-27 | 32 | $30,348,001 |
| 2027-28 | 33 | $32,596,001 |
| 2028-29 | 3. 4 | $34,844,001 |
