Celtics have an uncertain future with Jayson Tatum's injury, a large salary statement to face

Boston (AP) -The Boston Celtics came up this season with the hope of ending the six-year drought of the NBA without repeat master.

With a mostly unchanged squad, which was led by all-stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they looked like a team that was geared towards doing it after being able to do the regular season and published their second season with 60 victories, while they earned No. 2 seed in Eastern Conference.

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But everything that was thrown to the surface in the post-season cemented by Boston's 4-2 semi-final against a New York Knicks team that had previously dominated this season. The Celtics are now the sixth NBA champion in a row that does not make it out of the second round the following season.

The devastating Achilles' violation of Tatum late in game 4 was just as painful as with NBA Champions, in game 4, which exposed him for the last two games of the series. The 27-year-old is now staring at a rehabilitation process, which for most, if not all of the next season.

It not only led a pall over the rest of the New York series, but also brought the future of the Celtics into uncertainty into the low season. After her excretion, this feeling was clearly in Brown's thoughts when he tried to offer Boston's fans hope.

“This trip is not the end. It is not the end for me. I'm looking forward to coming back more. You just take this with the chin,” said Brown. “I know Boston, it obviously looks dark when JT is outside and we end the year, but there is much to be happy. I want the city to be excited about it. This is not the end.”

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But it may not be so easy.

Boston's salary billing this season has led the salary upper limit and will make it a luxury -tier team for the third time in a row. This means that in three out of four seasons you match a “Repeater Tax” Pence over the upper limit.

With the wage and salary statement for the next season on the route around 225 million dollars, the tax bill would be almost 280 million US dollars next year. The combined potential price of 500 million US dollars would be a league record.

It is unclear whether the in -depth property of the team wants to continue to pay these high punishments in order to maintain the current roster.

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This could mean that the belts in this off -season with 11 players who are currently under contract will tighten in a way.

Tatum signed a five-year contract on NBA record of $ 314 million last July, which will start next season and will pay him $ 54 million. Brown plays under a five-year contract for $ 304 million that started this season. He will earn $ 53 million next season. This is followed by Jrue Holiday (32 million US dollars), Kristaps Porzingis (30 million US dollars), Derrick White (28 million US dollars) and Sam Hauser (10 million US dollars).

Of the top nine rotation players this season, only the veteran Al Horford and Luke Kornet are free agents.

However, there are concerns that go beyond financial.

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Porzingis' health will also be in the spotlight after being hindered in the last parts of the regular season, and Playoffs with a continuing viral disease that made him strength and made him a virtual non -factor against the Knicks.

Although he said he didn't think it will be a long -term thing.

“The best thing I need is to rest. Just get it somewhere in the sun and let the rest of my system out,” he said.

A positive sign is that he said that he is planning to play for Latvia in Eurobasket for home country this summer.

Then there is Brown, who joined this off -season and dealt with a problem with the right knee, but was able to play through it. He said he was not sure whether it would require surgery in this off -season.

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Despite this uncertainty, Brown's optimism remains high, although he recognized that difficult times may be ahead.

“It feels like death,” he said. “But I was always taught that there is life after death.”

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