Paul Pierce Assigns Blame for Recent Trades by the Boston Celtics
Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce doesn't shy away from making headlines with his hot takes, and there's a reason why he's known as "The Truth," even if he's only expressing his opinions.
Advertisement
On his "Podcast P," he broke down the state of the Celtics as the team has had a busy week retooling the roster with big trades and personnel moves.
Last Monday, Boston traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons. The following day, the Celtics agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang.
There have been rumors circulating about Jaylen Brown, a team leader who is coming off his third straight All-Star season, possibly being on the trading block.
Boston will also allow Al Horford, Torrey Craig, Luke Kornet and Drew Peterson to enter free agency, which will open on July 6.
Advertisement
Pierce expressed his frustrations while conceding changes had to be made, given that the team won a championship a year ago, and is now moving on from key pieces of the franchise as the cost of doing business.
"Man, you don't like it because you looked at a team that won (a championship) last year, like 'this team can be a dynasty," said Pierce. "Because they're all relatively young. They've already been through their growing pains. But you start to understand the business of it now because it's new ownership."
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) is said to be in the trade block and forward Jayson Tatum (0) is rehabbing for an Achilles injury.Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Porzingis will be in the second year of a two-year, $60 million contract next season and will owe $30.7 million next year. He will turn 30 later this summer, and with a history of injuries, another contract extension likely wasn't viewed as the prudent move by the Celtics.
Advertisement
Like Porzingis, Holiday owed another large sum, $32.4 million, next season and still has another year left on his deal and a player option in 2027-28.
"You know, when new ownership comes in, from what I've seen, from my time in the league all the way up until now, I knew right away it was going to be something. When I was in my second or third year, we had a new owner and they traded everybody."
As Pierce said, in 2003, Boston Basketball Partners LLC purchased the team from Paul Gaston, and Danny Ainge was appointed as the team's general manager. The team would trade away several players, including long-time star Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Tony Battie, Eric Williams and Mike James.
In March, the Celtics were purchased by a group led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion.
Advertisement
"Listen, they just paid six billion for a team. You don't want a $500 million payroll. You are in the business of making money at the end of the day. Yeah, you want to win, but you want a cheaper version to try to win. I get it."
According to Spotrac, the Celtics are more than $107 million over the cap for the 2025-26 season. Boston is estimated to have a $238 million tax bill, in addition to the team's roster expenses.
Related: John Calipari Sends Message About Thunder's Executive After NBA Title
Related: Dan Hurley Bluntly Reveals Why He Turned Down Knicks Coaching Job
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
8 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Mets top Brewers 3-2 behind Nimmo, Soto and Peterson
NEW YORK — Brandon Nimmo homered again, Juan Soto came through with a tiebreaking single and the New York Mets held off the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Thursday night. David Peterson (6-4) rebounded from a pair of rough starts, tossing 6 2/3 effective innings to give New York's injury-ravaged rotation a much-needed boost.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WWE Contract Status for 2 'Monday Night Raw' Stars With Expiring Deals
WWE Contract Status for 2 'Monday Night Raw' Stars With Expiring Deals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Two current members of the WWE roster are in a contract year, and an update has surfaced on their current deals. Advertisement WWE assesses its roster space multiple times per year. The company constantly brings in new talent for shows such as "Monday Night Raw" and developmental programs such as "NXT" and "Evolve." As new stars enter, some seasoned veterans fall victim to roster cuts. In the case of Karrion Kross and his wife, Scarlett, many have been wondering if the act will stick around in WWE past 2025. Fightful reports that while some backstage feel that Kross and Scarlett will have their deals renewed, the pair's contracts are coming due in August. Karrion Kross attempts to get under the skin of Sami Zayn during a backstage interaction.(via WWE) Kross has been able to garner some buzz online in recent months. His efforts have paid off, as fans have been reacting to his appearances on TV despite the fact that he only recently found himself in a PLE match for the first time since "WrestleMania 40." Kross is currently involved in a storyline with Sami Zayn, which was not settled following their singles match at "Night of Champions." Advertisement Scarlett plays a significant role in the presentation of the Kross character. Whenever Kross begins to let his emotions get in the way of his plans, Scarlett reminds her husband of their ultimate goal. She's also vital for Kross' entrance, which has been praised since their days on the "NXT" brand. Those who believe Kross and Scarlett will be sticking around point to the fact that the act has new merchandise for sale on WWE Shop. It certainly doesn't hurt that the two have become regulars on the "Raw" brand. Related: Major Update on Absent AEW Star Ahead of 'All In Texas' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AEW Might Sign Released WWE Superstar Imminently
AEW Might Sign Released WWE Superstar Imminently originally appeared on Athlon Sports. AEW might be taking an interest in a former WWE titleholder. As of late, WWE has been acquiring talents who made waves under the AEW banner. Some of those names include Mariah May, who is known as Blake Monroe on "NXT," Ricky Saints, Penta, Rey Fenix, and Ethan Page. Advertisement AEW founder Tony Khan has signed former WWE stars to varying degrees of success. Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP have emerged as a top faction in AEW, and all three men were former champions in WWE. Could there be another ex-WWE star entering the fray? WrestleVotes reports that AEW has expressed interest in working with Isla Dawn. The former WWE tag team titleholder was reportedly backstage during a recent TV taping. The internal feel behind the scenes is that Dawn will eventually be working AEW shows. A segment on WWE TV involving Isla Dawn, Alba Fyre, and Lyra Valkyria.(via WWE) Dawn was released from her WWE contract back in February. Her former partner, Alba Fyre, remains on the "Friday Night SmackDown" roster. Advertisement Fyre is a member of The Secret Hervice stable along with former WWE Women's United States Champion Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Dawn's most recent match aired on "WWE Speed" on Feb. 7. She was defeated by Shotzi, who also ended up being released from her WWE deal. At this time, there's no word on what AEW would have planned for Dawn and whether or not she'll be a singles star or involved in another tag team. The last time Dawn entered a ring outside of WWE was back on Feb. 15, 2020. She faced Angel Hayze at "Wrestling Experience Scotland Live In Bathgate." Related: WWE Contract Status for 2 'Monday Night Raw' Stars With Expiring Deals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
