CAN THE CAVS HANG WITH THE CELTICS IN THE PLAYOFFS? - 5 Good Min With Windy

[@MikeLeeMusicSax]

Losing by 3 on the road is virtually a tie. If you look at the season a whole, this year. The Cavs are better.

[@earthandwater9011]

Virtual a tie? Nah, the Cavs are lucky that they didn't meet the Celtics earlier on like they did last year 2023 regular season when the Celtics beat them 3 times straight, and all of the 4 missing pieces of the Cavs were healthy at the time when they lost to the Celtics. The Cavs are a great contender, they are good, and will keep getting better, but they are not beating a healthy Celtics in a 7 game series

[@Mikewalk27]

@@earthandwater9011we were missing 4 of our wings

[@MikeLeeMusicSax]

@@earthandwater9011 I know you're scared so you're making up things. So I'll give you a pass. Cavs didn't play Celts until December last year. And then Cavs beat Celtics on March 5th 105-104. I believe they came from 20 something down.

[@dearmas9068]

Yeah, Boston better hope the Cavs are either injured, or don't have home court come playoff time. And the best part is, the Cavs arent even close to their ceiling yet. Mobley, Garland, Okoro, and now Tyson will all keep getting better for the next several years.

[@charlestangkin]

Hell yeah!

[@RSpeller-ym6jj]

Mr. Krabs: The Cavaliers better beat the Celtics in the playoffs this year to avenge their loss to them from last season, because if the Cavaliers do not win the championship this year, then Reise’s older brother George will be dead meat. I’m not joking this time.

[@peacefulwarrior9518]

The only possible reasonable answer to this is maybe. But don't go betting your life savings on it.

[@salem927]

Agreed

[@user-zu5cw5bc3w]

Cavs in a good spot going forward. The clock is ticking on the current version of the Celtics. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement rules and Boston entering the Repeater luxury tax brackets starting next season will bring an abrupt end to this current Celtics dynasty. The Celtics have paid the luxury tax last two seasons and will pay again at the end of this season. Paying the luxury tax 3 straight season will trigger the Repeat offender luxury tax penalty which will be due to be paid at the end of next year the 2025-2026 season. Currently for the 2025-26 season the Celtics have a total committed salary of $225,514,138 for only 11 players. Next year the Celtics will have to fill out the remaining 4 roster spots and be hamstringed in doing so by the fact they are going to be a perpetual Second Apron team going forward. The only moves a second apron team can make to improve their team are the following: they can resign their own free agents; they can sign their own draft picks, and they can sign new players to only the veteran minimum salary. That's it. They can't sign free agents with a Mid-Level exception or Biannual exception. If they make a trade, they can't take back more than 100% salary matching in the trade. They also can't combine multiple outgoing salaries in any trade. In other words, the only trade they can make is where the Celtics are sending out one player and bringing back one or more players where the combined incoming salary is less than the one outgoing players salary. Also, because they are above the first apron they are not allowed to sign a buyout player that was being paid more than the 12.9-million-dollar non-taxpayer mid-level exception this season prior to being bought out. As I said earlier, the Celtics have $225,514,138 committed to 11 players next year. I imagine they will resign Horford (if he doesn't rupture one of his 38-year-old Achilles tendons before then) to another one-year deal. They'll have a late first round pick in 2025 that they will sign, and they will either resign Jaden Springer or let him go and sign someone else to a vet min deal. Their 15th roster spot will probably remain open until Feb or March 2026 when they sign a buyout player. I project that the total cost for their player roster for the 2025-26 season will be approximately $241,000,000 (if they bring back Horford). I did the math on this payroll number using this year's Repeater luxury tax brackets and came up with a tax bill for next season of $263,000,000. Add that tax penalty to their players' salaries and it comes out to $504,000,000 dollars total cost to put their team on the court next year 2025-26. Yes, that was over a half BILLION with a B! Keep in mind that current Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck only has a total net worth of about $400,000,000. Maybe this is why he's looking to sell the team. The Celtics have additional minority owners but in business the majority owner typically pays a majority of the expense. In the present-day NBA, you just can't pay two players on the same team 300-million-dollar contracts like Tatum and Brown are going to be getting. The Celtics will be forced to bust the team up. This is all simple mathematics.

[@johnbontea1353]

So who will they trade brown or tatum to? They would need to get back close to 300 million so I dont think you're right. They will have to cut other players not under contract or offer buyouts and play rookies

[@user-zu5cw5bc3w]

@@johnbontea1353 In an off season there will be teams with cap space. There always is.

[@user-zu5cw5bc3w]

@@johnbontea1353 No they will not need to get back close to 300 million in return for a trade. I don't think you understand how NBA salaries and trades actually work. As a second apron team, if the Celtics trade Jaylen Brown at the end of the 2025-26 season they will only be trading him for the value of his 2026-27 salary which we already know is worth $57,027, 278.00. That is very tradeable especially in an offseason over the summer. The 300 million figure I was referring to in the original post was the total value of Jaylen Brown's 5-year contract that he's currently working under. Anyway, I did the Math, so you don't have to. The half a Billion dollars the Celtics are going to be responsible for in June 2026 is very real. It's a done deal. Without drastic roster changes that is where they will be. I don't think they can operate under that financial burden for very long. Kicking the can down the road and operating their franchise in the red won't work for very long.

[@user-zu5cw5bc3w]

The Celtics can keep Brown and Tatum if they want. But that will mean goodbye to some combination of Porzingus, Holiday, and White. Maybe all three. Then they can trot out Tatum and Brown with a bunch of vet mins and rookie scale late draft picks. Have it your way!

[@dearmas9068]

Yes. Absolutely yes. The Celtics are beatable, and the Cavs are elite. Even if Boston does beat the Cavs in a series this year, it will be the LAST time before we leave them behind.

[@NiteOwlVibes]

😂😂 you wont even get passed a healthy Knicks or Magic, Bucks, 76ers.

[@dearmas9068]

@@NiteOwlVibes ill do you a favor. I won't insult your intelligence by assuming you actually believe the stpuid things you say.

[@fakedazzleful]

He even mentioned 76ers lol😂​@@dearmas9068

[@nickmoorman6359]

@@NiteOwlVibesname a price I bet the Cavs make the ECF

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

@@nickmoorman6359don’t be a coward. Say you’ll win it all

[@dereksimmons2492]

Cavs Celtics might be the greatest playoff series ever! Bring Larry Bird outta retirement.😺🏀☘️

[@Mrbamis22]

The Celtics Shot Their Lowest % Against The CAVS Than ANY Team They Faced Last Year's Playoffs. No Allen, No D.Mitch Last Two Games? What Were The Scores? Boston Is Overrated.

[@ESPNCleveland850]

Do you think the Cavs should make any big roster moves this season?

[@dearmas9068]

They need a backup 5/4 they can rely on. Bobby Portis for 12.5 a year is my favorite target. We will see come the deadline if the Bucks are selling. 50/50 shot their turnaround is real, or just temporary.

[@stevenhaymon2441]

They need a player that can guard 3/4/5. Idk about big but they need one more player. Idk if Jabari Smith Jr is available but he has that skill.

[@Hawkeye62]

Cavs need to play someone else on Porzingis cuz Allen can't handle him Cavs will finish 2nd to the Celtics still we have a good team need to possibly make a trade.

[@dearmas9068]

@@Hawkeye62 Did you... um... did you forget that Mobley and Dean Wade exist? The Cavs are 2nd to absolutely no one.

[@Mrbamis22]

No

[@johnbontea1353]

Cavs have to win this yr because ty jerome will be a free agent and we can't pay him for next yr. Jerome gives you the best 20 minutes in the nba.

[@dearmas9068]

Were going to find a way to keep Jerome

[@kiki42719]

Every pro leagues in other countries have cups and its great. Americans are just late to the party. The nba cup matters and will matter a lot

[@gregleavitt1255]

No one's beating the C's 4 times with a healthy starting 5. Sorry

[@nickmoorman6359]

The Cavs aren’t a “championship or bust” team yet. They’re still developing. Within the next year or two is when the window truly opens. A competitive ECF is the next step.

[@AndrewPolander]

Cavs need a SF!!!! Cam Johnson would sure look good as would DFS...from the Nets...Cavs are loaded at the guard position....outside of DM...I would make them all available if it meant upgrading that SF spot!! The Spurs have LOTS of picks...something that the NETS would want...Why not the framework of a Cam Johnson to the Cavs ..DG to the Spurs and Picks to the Nets..3 team deal!! My biggest question about DG is staying healthy.....not confident about him at all in the area....availability is imp[ortant when playoff time approaches...Size and length matter!!! KOBY ALTMAN has not brought us that SF in his tenure here.

[@mainemusso44]

Hell yeah and the cavs gonna win it all this year mark my words

[@ibragang]

If delusion was a person

[@Hawkeye62]

Celtics are a proven Championship team and wait till they get Porzingis back they will be even stronger

[@quinnmiller68]

Wait til the Cavs get Wade, Levert, Okoro, and Strus get back.. had literally no one to guard Tatum & Brown. So sick of ppl talking about KP being out, Cavs were much more injury riddled and still only lost by 3 in Boston

[@tylerrochette7682]

@@quinnmiller68 you're on crack if you think any of those players can guard tatum and brown well, boston has size mismatches on the cavs throughout our whole lineup. notice how bad midget garland always plays against them? goodluck having him perform well when it matters. now okoro who is 3-4 inches shorter than tatum is gonna shut him down lmao gtfo

[@Jjhawkk]

@@quinnmiller68 you me and the Cavs had no one to get blocked and ripped by DY and Holliday? those scrubs were doing nothing

[@herbertsmith7196]

No Cavs,will not win in playoffs with Garland going up against Boston

[@dearmas9068]

Casual

[@timothymignone]

No because the Celtics will have kristaps porzingis back and who is going to defend against him on cleve cavs

[@dearmas9068]

Seriously? Evan Mobley, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

We just saw them in a playoff series, how did that go? 😂 Cavs pack in 5 🚬

[@lukeolesinski7439]

Different coach.

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

@ it ain’t the coach giving 7 players career high from 3..

[@lukeolesinski7439]

@@undiscoveredstars1002 He is getting them more open look opportunities. So yes, it technically is.

[@dearmas9068]

Why does EVERYTHING need to be explained to Boston fans?... Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen were out. New coach, New system, Mobley has taken a leap. Garland is back to being elite. You better hope we don't have home court. Pay attention before commenting, son...

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

@ okay let’s see if 7 players are shooting 44% from 3 by the end of the year and 2 over 50% 👍🏻

[@mainemusso44]

They made need to move garland and extend ty Jerome tho. He is like a Derrick white Jalen Brunson hybrid he can play defense shoot lights out and get in the paint

[@nickmoorman6359]

They do not need to move Garland. At the very least not for a while yet.

[@undiscoveredstars1002]

😂😂😂😂😂 never disrespect derick white by comparing him to ty Jerome

[@caarrll7117]

Garland for Jimmy Buckets?

[@lockdownpublications3169]

​@@caarrll7117hell no. Jimmy is always injured and he's a malcontent and OLD. What's wrong with you

[@dearmas9068]

​@@caarrll7117 get out. You're fired.