BOSTON — Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard tried to forecast hope. Brown’s life after death line and Pritchard’s 100% certainty that the Celtics will compete next year did not become the prevailing sentiment following a stunning early finish to Boston’s season.
Brad Stevens said on Monday that rapid exit, combined with Jayson Tatum’s injury and ownership change, left him without the ability to immediately answer questions regarding the team’s future.
Meaning anything can happen.
That’s the reality for the Boston Celtics now after two collapses that they collectively pointed to as the reason they are home as the conference finals begin this week. Worse, players acknowledged across the board that they’ll never have this opportunity again.
“It sucks,” Derrick White said. “We’re never gonna get this season back. We’re never gonna have the exact same team again.”
Stevens managed the control the Celtics seemingly lack by emphasizing that Boston has White, Brown, Pritchard and many more under contract. He didn’t signal any approach or limitation placed on him, only acknowledging the reality of the CBA they’ve known for some time. Al Horford and Luke Kornet become unrestricted free agents in July, the only things outside their control, with Horford’s willingness to assess retirement or a departure another looming uncertainty on top of it all. Kornet similarly expressed the need to consult his family on his decision.
For those staying, there’ll eventually be a departure. Wyc Grousbeck signaled as much when he predicted that no team will stay above the second apron in coming years. Boston is nearly $20-million over that line for next season between 12 players. There isn’t a straightforward path to moving off that money either with limited cap space available league-wide. The market could decide their move — depending on which opportunities emerge.
And they’ll be without Tatum, who makes $54.1 million, for most if not all of 2025-26.
“Any time you’re talking about an injury like that, it’s another piece of information that you have to ingest and figure out how that affects you moving forward, both next year and in the future,” Stevens said.
Kristaps Porziņģis hadn’t thought about the prospect of the team coming apart moments after Game 6. He thought more about recovering from his illness and EuroBasket. Jrue Holiday still saw a championship window ahead for the Celtics, and hoped to be part of it. White said he’s most proud that he got the chance to wear a Boston uniform with these teammates. Stevens described Brown and Tatum core parts of their program to this point who earned the superstar praise they received. He also stressed it’s about everyone moving forward.
On committing to winning championships — he said that’s always the eventual goal, but didn’t directly point toward trying to do so in 2025-26. Stevens wouldn’t put a ceiling on any group. Though he said some teams enter years with better contending chances than others.
The Celtics don’t need to rush into decisions. Even Joe Mazzulla, should he have only one year left on his contract as Shams Charania’s 2023 report indicated, succeeded enough over the past three years to warrant more time despite a disappointing finish to 2025. Boston doesn’t need to dive below the second apron line until the trade deadline to avoid penalties, perhaps giving Porziņģis new life on his expiring contract.
A still-pending team sale should finish soon, bringing new voices into the discussion beyond even Bill Chisholm and Grousbeck. When Stevens said he doesn’t know what’s next, he likely spoke strategically, but also with some truth. His door’s open if anyone needs it, he said. That probably won’t alleviate the anxiety around Auerbach Center. Stevens always had an answer to begin his tenure as president. Much of Boston’s future now lies outside of his control.
“I know there will be a lot of questions about what’s next, but I’ll talk, probably, more about that at the draft, when we have a better idea,” Stevens said. “After meeting with all the key stakeholders and everybody else, about what the next steps might be. At the end of the day, I think that will all be driven by the same thing that’s always driven us, and that is, ‘How do we get ourselves in the mix to compete for championships best?’”
