Celtics offseason outlook: A title is still the goal, but that could be tough sledding
The cost-conscious Celtics need to tread carefully and likely improve around the margins to remain a contender.
If an NBA season was a theme park, the Boston Celtics' 2025-26 would be its roller coaster. As they entered the season, some pundits — myself included — wondered aloud if it'd be better to tank in hopes of securing a high draft pick for next season, when presumably Jayson Tatum would be back from an Achilles tear. (We'll get back to Tatum shortly.
) Instead, the Celtics flourished under Jaylen Brown, remaining thoroughly in the playoff picture and looking like a team no one in the East wanted to play. Then they traded a chunk of their team at the trade deadline to get under the luxury tax limit, which seemingly went against their success. Jayson Tatum missing Game 7 was a crucial blow to the Celtics.
ASSOCIATED PRESS On the heels of, well, getting worse in order to save money, Tatum was surprisingly ready to return ahead of schedule. It seemed Boston perhaps found a way to both save money and get better. Well, uh, about that … The second-seeded Celtics then lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team they've been so used to taking behind the wood shed.
Boston is now left looking for answers for next season. (Yes, Celtics fans. You can exhale now.