Austin Ainge on Celtics players returning: As has already been noted, it’s rare that an NBA team attempts to repeat with essentially its entire roster after winning a championship.
But with the re-signing of several players, including Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta, Boston is in a position to defend its title with a near-complete return of the 2023-24 team.
Part of this was achieved by the team’s front office tying up star players with contract extensions earlier in the year (or, in the case of Jayson Tatum, at the start of the offseason).