Kristaps Porzingis injury could create major Celtics questions down the line

When the Boston Celtics traded for Kristaps Porzingis last summer, they knew what they were getting themselves into. The Latvian big man has been dealing with injuries throughout the course of his career, and just one season into his tenure with the Celtics, that fact remains true.

Porzingis had offseason surgery to to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. He suffered the injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals after previously dealing with a calf issue that kept him out for over two rounds of the playoffs.

The big man came back just in time for a Game 5 cameo, helping the Celtics win their 18th banner in franchise history. But now, with surgery just barely in his rearview mirror, Brad Stevens might have to start thinking about the future.

Kristaps Porzingis injury could lead to major Celtics questions

For the time being, the Celtics’ best plan of action is to keep Porzingis around, trust his rehab process, and hope he’s back in time to make meaningful contributions throughout the postseason. (And they also need to hope he stays healthy.)

But with how consistently he gets injured and how expensive the Celtics’ roster is, his ailments could quickly create some significant questions in Boston.

Let’s say Porzingis comes back from his offseason surgery but doesn’t look the same. The injury he sustained is extremely rare, and if he doesn’t respond well after rehab, the Celtics could play without him for a long, long while.

And the worst-case scenario is that he’s never the same player.

If Porzingis isn’t back to playing regularly by the 2025-26 season, the Celtics could be forced to consider their options moving forward, especially considering there’s a chance that the new ownership group doesn’t want to pay an insane luxury tax bill.

Plus, Al Horford is inching closer to retirement, and if Porzingis can’t get back on the court, Boston’s big-man position will look pretty weak.

At that point, trading Porzingis would be useless, as he could be a negative asset, but therein lies the question. What would the Celtics have to do?

It seems as though they are stuck with Porzingis on the roster indefinitely, which is a great place to be stuck, considering last season’s result. But it’s only a great place if he comes back healthy.

Obviously, for as big of a chance as Porzingis’ injury is long-lasting, he could very well come back and be okay. But if he’s not, the questions of his future with the team and their roster game plan moving forward will begin trickling in.