It should go without saying that in Boston, the expectation is to win a championship every season. But at the same time, not all seasons are created equal. The Celtics should be a very good team in the 2026-27 season, but it’s hard to tell how much playoff equity the team has with its current makeup, and the goal of this year may largely be finding out.
Everyone assumed last year would be a gap year of sorts with Jayson Tatum injured and the second apron and repeater tax looming. Boston overachieved and squashed that narrative, but that was really year one of a two-year financial reset that’s about to enter year two. Conveniently, there’s a good chance this team can still compete for a title even with the constraints of likely staying under the luxury tax again, but the real championship window probably opens back up a year from now.
In the meantime, it’s up to Brad Stevens and the rest of the Celtics’ decision-makers to determine the future of this team, who is going to be a part of it, and what role different players can be expected to play.
Tatum, White, Pritchard still need to prove what they are
And that starts right at the top. This is clearly Jayson Tatum’s team now, but are we 100% sure he’ll be as good as he was before the injury? I believe he will be, and he was very good when he came back, but it would still be nice to see it for a full season. Derrick White had a down year shooting the ball, but was elite on defense. A bounce-back offensive season with JT back would go a long way in solidifying his role as he ages into his 30s.
Everyone assumes Payton Pritchard will take a leap with Jaylen Brown’s usage vacated, myself included, but we still haven’t seen him carry that burden over the course of a full season. Even Paul George could prove to be a perfect fit and someone they want to work out a deal with to keep him around rather than using him as a giant expiring trade chip.
Too many good young players to keep them all
And beyond those top few guys, it almost feels like it’s going to be open season on everyone. The Celtics have an awesome young core, but they simply don’t have enough minutes to go around. They’re eventually going to have to make some tough decisions on the rotation between the likes of Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Sam Hauser, Ron Harper Jr., and others. Are these championship-caliber rotation players, potential trade chips for a star, or something different?
The same choices may soon come at the center position, as Neemias Queta was great last year but has to show it wasn’t a fluke and he can step it up in the playoffs as a number one option. Mitchell Robinson has to show what he can do outside of New York and if he can handle a bigger role, and Luka Garza must show if he’s a viable stretch-big option in high-leverage minutes.
When this season ends, the Celtics are almost certainly going to be ready to spend big again, and they are going to go on a shopping spree next summer, possibly even going back into the second apron. But that’s going to mean shipping out a lot of players, perhaps more beloved ones in Boston. It’s the price of doing business, and this coming season is almost certainly going to dictate who’s still in green beyond next offseason.
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