The Boston Celtics will be a different team next season than they’ve been in the last few, that is already established.
Since bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks, a lot has changed for the Celtics. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet are all on different teams. Al Horford is unlikely to return, and Jayson Tatum will miss all of next season due to a torn achilles.
Going from winning the championship in 2024 in dominant fashion, to the current state of the team can feel like a bit of a culture shock for those in the Celtics organization. Keith Smith of Spotrac spoke with an anonymous front office executive for the Celtics at NBA Summer League, where he detailed just how the team is feeling going into next season.
“Still figuring it all out,” they said, per Smith. “It sucked to trade Jrue (Holiday) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis), because we loved those guys and they loved Boston. But it was being brutally honest that we aren’t the same level of team without Jayson (Tatum).”
“We’ll be good. We’ll be a playoff team, but…you know. It’ll come for every team that lands where we did. You can’t be over the second apron and not a title contender. It’s just poor management for both the short- and long-term. The frozen pick and pick dropping stuff is real.”
The Celtics aren’t the only team that will be considerably less fortunate next season. The Indiana Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton — also due to a torn achilles — and the Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard after he also tore his own achilles. Next year will be a bit of a transition year for the Celtics, and barring anything unforeseen, the team likely has its eyes set on the 2026-27 season when they can return back to full strength.