3 Boston Celtics who won't be back next season after Jrue Holiday extension

After a great season from the defensive star, the Boston Celtics have extended Jrue Holiday to a monster contract. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Jrue Holiday has agreed to a $135 million extension over four years. While the franchise has zero major distractions for their playoff run, their incoming luxury tax bill would scare any franchise that isn't coming off a title defense.

The franchise is set to pay over $100 million in luxury tax penalties this season on top of the $200 million that the team is already giving out. While Holiday left money off the table with his current extension, there is no question that the Celtics will have to cut down on their tax bill with Jayson Tatum's possible supermax extension coming in 2025-26.

With a feisty New York Knicks team challenging them in the Eastern Conference and a deep Western Conference waiting for them in a possible finals match, the Celtics are no lock to win the championship this season. With an extremely nasty tax bill coming up, one could assume that the Celtics will undergo massive payroll changes if they fall short of the ultimate goal.

3. Boston Celtics that won't be back next season after Holiday extension: Jaylen Brown

While Jaylen Brown is extremely talented, the guard has been rumored to be on the trading block for a while now. According to Howard Beck of the Ringer, an unnamed Eastern Conference executive said that Boston will have "decisions to make" with Brown's long-term future even if the franchise wins the title this season.

Due to the recent CBA, severe penalties come with going over the luxury tax. Despite looking like an absolute star, Brown has yet to develop a left hand that can dribble at an NBA pace. This allows teams in the playoffs to force the star to go left and render him ineffective. Since the Celtics have this huge offensive weakness with him in the lineup, they may trade him for a giant package of first-round picks that his basketball services warrant as an All-NBA veteran.

Even though the Celtics just re-signed him last offseason, Brown could be the odd man out if the franchise has to confront their luxury tax issues. If the Celtics decide to keep Brown, the franchise could decide to move these two other players instead to help lower their bill.

2. Boston Celtics that won't be back next season after Holiday extension: Payton Pritchard

While moving Payton Pritchard would not have the seismic impact on their luxury tax like Jaylen Brown would, the Celtics could save a lot of money by trading the young veteran for a smaller lot of draft picks. In the past, Pritchard was rumored to be moved since the former Oregon Duck wasn't playing a lot of minutes.

That has changed this season as Pritchard has played very well in his top reserve role for the Celtics. While the guard is a valuable part of the roster, the team could replace his $7 million annual salary with a young player who could be on his rookie deal.

While getting rid of the seventh-best player on your roster for draft picks might not be considered a good move, the franchise will likely have to find players who command less when it comes to their basketball services. Even though the Celtics would supposably get the most for Brown, the franchise could opt to keep the star and trade a role player instead.

At the end of the day, the Celtics will likely be facing a numbers crunch unless the franchise can win a title this season. Trading Pritchard could be a way for Boston to cut down on salary while keeping all of their star talent in place. The franchise would probably only get a pick or two for Pritchard but they would be able to keep their core together for as long as possible.

3. Boston Celtics that won't be back next season after Holiday extension: Al Horford

The final player that could possibly be moved this offseason if the Celtics are unable to win a championship is Al Horford. Even though Horford has a been staple in Boston, the aging center is not what he used to be. The former five-time All-Star is also on a expiring contract next season and will likely not a long future left in the league.

The Celtics could look to trade Horford for a cheaper big that could lessen their luxury tax bill while giving the franchise comfort in the fact that the roster is getting way younger at the big position.

After extending Holiday to a monster deal, it seems like a matter of time until the Celtics will have to lower their payroll. Whether it is one of these three or a different veteran, the Celtics are likely to make some cost-cutting move unless the franchise wins it all this season.