Celtics Send Xavier Tillman Sr. and $3.5M to Hornets, Escape Luxury Tax
celtics-trade-tillman-cash-hornets
More than an hour after the NBA trade deadline passed, the Boston Celtics reached a deal to send center Xavier Tillman Sr. and $3.5 million in cash to the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Tillman, 27, has appeared in only 14 games for Boston this season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per contest. The Hornets have not indicated whether they will keep the veteran big man beyond finalizing the swap. His contract expires after the season at $2.55 million.
For Boston, the move is largely financial. The club entered the 2025-26 league year above the second tax apron but has steadily trimmed payroll. After last summer’s cost-saving transactions involving Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Georges Niang, the Celtics moved Tillman, Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, and Chris Boucher this week to drop below the luxury-tax line.
Once all deadline deals and the promotion of center Amari Williams are official, Boston will have 12 players on standard contracts and sit roughly $842,000 under the tax threshold, noted cap analyst Yossi Gozlan. The club can carry fewer than 14 players for up to 28 total days during the season and is expected to use that flexibility, potentially promoting two-way guard Max Shulga later on; because he was drafted by Boston, his salary would count only at the rookie minimum for tax purposes.
Charlotte remains comfortably under the tax line, and the incoming $3.5 million more than covers Tillman’s remaining salary, effectively making the trade a cash-positive move for the Hornets.
Source: Hoops Rumors
