Paul George’s addition to the Boston Celtics has been highly controversial. Parting with Jaylen Brown in a deal that not only improves the Philadelphia 76ers but is also seen as selling low has been tough for Celtics fans to stomach.
However, on Monday, July 6, George made a selfless gesture that should help endear him to his new fanbase. The veteran forward had a 15% trade kicker in his contract. As such, when he was traded to Boston, George was in line to earn an additional $3.6 million. That would have taken his season salary to $57.7 million.
Rather than accepting the 15% pay rise, George has opted to waive the trade kicker. That decision has ultimately provided Boston with some additional cap flexibility.
Following George’s decision, the Celtics are now roughly $1.1 million over the tax. They’re $8 million short of the first apron, where they’re hard-capped after signing Mitchell Robinson using the full non-taxpayer mid-level-exception.
Theoretically, Brad Stevens could now trade Sam Hauser and his $10 million salary to bring back a player earning $18 million, assuming the Celtics were willing to use a portion of their $27.1 million traded player exception.
Celtics Likely to Duck The Luxury Tax
Despite having some headroom under the first apron, it’s highly unlikely we see the Celtics take on any additional salary this summer. From the moment Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles tendon during the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the plan has been to reset the repeater tax.
Unfortunately for Boston, getting out of being a repeater tax team takes two years of being under the tax. Brad Stevens made the necessary moves to get under the tax last season. He’s likely to follow a similar path this season, too.
That doesn’t mean the Celtics won’t make a trade between now and the trade deadline, though. It just means that they’re unlikely to take on any additional salary. There’s still enough scope to make some changes on the margins while getting under the tax this season.
Once the repeater tax has been reset, we should expect Boston to become more willing to take on salary to improve the overall roster. However, that won’t be until this time next year.
Celtics Made A Tough Call On Jaylen Brown
On Monday, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens addressed the media regarding his decision to trade Brown. He noted that part of the driving force behind the decision was having 70% of the team’s cap sheet tied up between Jayson Tatum and Brown.
“I might be wrong. I’m not going to stand up here and be defensive about that, but the path looked a little bit more challenging with 70% of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players,” Stevens said.
George may be on a similar contract, but he has one year less on his deal. Furthermore, he could be flipped next season when his current contract is in its final year. That is, assuming George opts into his player option after this season.
Either way, it’s clear the Celtics feel like they’ve made the right move. While George will certainly have to prove himself on the court, his decision to waive his trade kicker is a great start to winning over Celtics fans.
Paul George Helps Celtics With Salary-Sacrificing Move