en-us SportSpyder - Boston Celtics (NBC Sports Boston) https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/sources/11982/news A potentially franchise-altering offseason lies ahead for the Boston Celtics. After a devastating first-round series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston must decide whether to keep its core intact or begin a new era of Celtics basketball. NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics insider Chris Forsberg laid out three paths for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens – , P, and . Path 3 has already been rumored to be under consideration. Boston is among the teams in trade rumors, and such a deal almost certainly would require shipping Jaylen Brown out of town. Do Stevens and the Celtics need to make such a drastic move, or should they run it back with largely the same group plus a healthy Jayson Tatum? Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated joined Friday’s Early Edition to discuss which path he’d take. “I don’t see a real reason to overreact to a bad playoff loss given what this season was supposed to be,” Mannix said. “I mean, the expectations coming into the year were extremely low. They wind up winning 56 games, having a better offensive rating this year than they did last year. “Yeah, it was an ugly way to go out against Philadelphia, and obviously, they have some needs to address if they want to be considered a championship contender, but they’ve got the core of a championship-contending team. They’ve got two superstars that know how to play with each other. They’ve got a second star who elevated himself this year into that first tier of players.” Brown stepped up in Tatum’s absence, leading Boston to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. When Tatum returned, it was like he had never left. The Celtics’ star tandem picked up where it left off before Tatum’s injury and appeared ready to make a run at Banner 19. Then, they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Sixers. Despite that devastating result, Mannix looks at this year’s Eastern Conference champions as a reason not to make any drastic decisions. “I think looking at the New York Knicks is a great example of why you want to keep things together, because one of the reasons the Knicks are playing in the Finals right now is because of their chemistry,” Mannix said. “Jalen Brunson has been around for four years. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, two or three years. They’ve built chemistry over multiple years and they’re playing and succeeding as a team. “The Celtics have done it even longer with this group, and I would love to see them go out, try to find a big man, try to find a little bit more depth in the backcourt, and then run it back next year with a healthy Jayson Tatum and a vastly improved Jaylen Brown.” Boston enters the offseason with a glaring need for frontcourt help. It could also use a playmaking guard and a another reliable scoring option for when Tatum and Brown need a breather. Stevens has a at his disposal, as well as a . Both will be useful as the Celtics look to upgrade their roster, but if they go the trade route while keeping the Jays together, one name to monitor is Derrick White. White, a Celtic since 2022 and a key member of the 2024 championship squad, is owed $30.34 million for the upcoming season. The three-time All-Defensive selection is one of Boston’s few trade chips that could bring in a significant haul. Perhaps a big-man upgrade and other improvements on the margins will be enough. But as opportunities arise in the offseason, Stevens will have to seriously ponder whether a major change is best for the franchise’s future. Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:30:41 GMT Justin Leger https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56862402 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56862402 false false The 2026 NBA Finals began Wednesday night when the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs by overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit to win Game 1 on the road. Jalen Brunson’s 30 points and fourth-quarter heroics dominated headlines after the game, but the real star of the series opener for the Knicks was center Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 18 points with 12 rebounds. But more importantly, Towns played really good defense against Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama. KAT locked up Wemby in Game 1 👀 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) It was another example of how important it is to have a center capable of guarding the league’s best big men. Many of the top contenders have a center who can impact games at a high level. That list includes Wembanyama and Towns, as well as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley and Alperen Sengun. Giannis Antetokounmpo to a contender this offseason. The Celtics are lacking in this department. Neemias Queta had an excellent regular season as the starting center, but he was far less effective in the playoffs against Embiid. Queta scored fewer than 10 points in five of the seven first-round games against the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was also in foul trouble in several of those matchups. One place where the Celtics can upgrade their frontcourt is the 2026 NBA Draft later this month. The C’s have the No. 27 overall pick in the first round. Here’s a list of potential Celtics targets in Round 1 based on recent predictions from experts in 2026 NBA mock drafts. : Sergio De Larrea, Wing, Valencia (Spain) “The Celtics had good luck last year taking Hugo Gonzalez in the late first round. Why not go with another Spaniard? De Larrea is a tall playmaking guard with major feel and a knockdown jumper who thrives within team concepts. He suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his 2024-25 season and removed him from draft boards, but it ended up a blessing in disguise since he returned with a bigger role and stronger production for a great team in the EuroLeague. With size, smarts and defensive versatility, he could carve out a role in the NBA if his international skill can translate.” : Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford “If you pop in the film of Okorie’s 36-point outburst from Stanford’s Jan. 14 win over North Carolina, you’ll wonder why he slipped this far. He followed it up with three more 30+ point showings during one of the most unexpectedly dominant freshman seasons in college basketball. The margins are slim for making it in the league as an undersized scoring guard. But if nothing else, perhaps he can sustain an NBA bench unit.” : Tyler Tanner, Guard, Vanderbilt “Tanner might be destined to return to college after being one of the most divisive players in this year’s class. He was one of the very best players in college basketball as a sophomore, but he’s just so small at a tick under 5’11 barefoot and 167 pounds with a 6’4.25 wingspan. He definitely plays bigger than his size on both ends with a sixth sense for forcing turnovers and a rare ability to dunk on your head for such a tiny guard. I have questions about his three-point shooting and creation ability at the next level. He’d be a great flier in this range.” : Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina “The Celtics typically load up with as many shooters as they can get, and they naturally have an affinity for floor-spacing bigs. Once financial constraints forced them to split from the likes of Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis in 2025, they pivoted to Luka Garza and Nikola Vučević. But Vučević is a free agent now, and Garza is unproven as a rotation regular, so Boston could continue its stretch-big search with Veesaar. He is a 7’0″ play-finisher both around the rim and beyond the three-point arc.” : Joshua Jefferson, SF/PF, Iowa State “The Celtics could stand to improve their secondary playmaking, regardless of position. The way the board has fallen, Boston could land one of the best passers in the class while also shoring up its frontcourt depth. Jefferson may not have ideal length for his position, but he makes up for that with brute strength, quick hands, and excellent two-way instincts. At their best, the Celtics exhibit a five-man flow that adapts to the coverage at hand. Having a quick processor like Jefferson on the floor would help keep things in motion.” Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:04:11 GMT Nick Goss https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56849758 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56849758 false false Editor’s Note: As the Celtics begin an uncertain offseason, Insider Chris Forsberg is rolling out a three-part series called “The Path,” in which he breaks down three potential avenues for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to take this summer. You can read and here. Today: the series finale. Call us hopeless romantics. We love a fairy-tale ending. Maybe that’s the writer in us. When we ponder the Boston Celtics’ most endearing path forward, it almost always involves Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown overcoming the latest adversity together to return to the NBA mountaintop. This story has already had plenty of twists and turns. The chapters have piled up. There were early successes and frustrating setbacks. The Jays finally reached the title stage in 2022, only to get stiff-armed by the veteran Warriors. A jarring overhaul to the supporting cast around the Jays helped the duo finally deliver that elusive Banner 18 in 2024. Tatum’s torn Achilles stunted dreams of a repeat, and Brown’s magical 2025-26 campaign as the focal point of the team ended in bitter disappointment with a first-round playoff exit. Which delivers our protagonists to their latest crossroads. The Celtics must plot a path forward, one in which a restrictive new collective bargaining agreement makes it unclear if two max-money superstars are a viable long-term luxury for any team. For Part III of our annual summer path series, we’re left to ponder maybe the most unsavory option: major changes to the foundation of the Celtics franchise. Another disclaimer: Just because we are examining this pathway doesn’t mean we’re championing it. That said, what surprised us as we’ve gone about the exercise of pondering all the paths — from to — is that, if the team feels that something more than minor changes are necessary to be a legitimate contender again, then a major overhaul might be the team’s best chance to get where it wants to go. We say it often — especially after seasons end earlier than expected — but the Celtics’ brass . It’s front office malpractice not to. Maybe, at the end of the day, they decide there is no surefire upgrade available and elect to march forward with the Jays. But they have to at least ponder the alternatives. And so shall we. Mission statement With goals of 1) Maximizing money allocation under a prohibitive and apron-filled collective bargaining agreement and 2) Extending the window for the next title run, the Celtics make the swallow-hard decision to trade one of their two superstars. The ultimate goal: Create a team with one big-money centerpiece, then build a deep roster around them featuring a blend of mid-tier and minimum-salary players. The path The Celtics had barely dispersed for the summer following their first-round demise before . Part of the reason we’ve pushed back on the idea of that potential swap is because it doesn’t solve the long-term money issue. You still have two players making max money and you are likely shortening your title window at a time when you can’t freely spend to stockpile around that duo. Maybe it comes to pass that Antetokounmpo is far and away the best available player this summer, and the Celtics have to consider it if the team believes the core of this team has run its course. We simply believe this deal introduces too much unnecessary risk. In our mind, the bigger conversation is whether you can start the process of getting younger and extending your window if you elect to move on from Tatum or Brown, all while remaining competitive and not sacrificing prime years of whatever player remains. But trying to find a deal that brings back a combination of established and future talent, especially on the level of one of the Jays, is no easy task. The wish list Some half-baked trade ideas to get the brain rolling: 1. A deal with the Clippers that brings back Kawhi Leonard and the No. 5 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Leonard is entering the final season of his contract that will pay him $50.3 million next season — at least $7 million less than what Tatum ($58.5 million) and Brown ($57.1 million) will earn in 2026-27. The Celtics still have pathways to remaining under the tax this season while adding a high draft pick who can infuse low-cost, high-upside talent and help extend Boston’s title window. The drama that tends to follow Leonard might be tough to embrace, but he finished one spot behind Brown in MVP voting this season while appearing in 65 games. The Celtics actually could trim salary by including Brown or Tatum in a deal for Kawhi Leonard. 2. A deal with the Pelicans for Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III. The Celtics essentially split one of their max-money slots while bringing in a former All-Star in Murray, and a potential future All-Star in the offensive-minded Murphy III. The other wrinkle here: The Celtics could take Murphy III into the Anfernee Simons traded player exception, potentially creating a valuable new TPE that could further ai... Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:21:06 GMT Chris Forsberg https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56834013 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56834013 false false Editor’s Note: As the Celtics begin an uncertain offseason, Insider Chris Forsberg is rolling out a three-part series called “The Path,” in which he breaks down three potential avenues for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to take this summer. . Let’s start this uncomfortable conversation with two unassailable facts: Which leads us to Part 2 of our summer pathway series, which we’re dubbing an “uncomfortable middle road.” With Tatum and Brown set to make a combined $115.6 million and account for 70 percent of the salary cap next season, the spotlight falls on the three other players making more than a minimum salary: Derrick White ($30.3 million), Sam Hauser ($10.8 million), and Payton Pritchard ($7.8 million). No one wants to entertain the idea of moving on from what remains of Boston’s title core — especially just one year after bidding farewell to Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. But the reality is that the Celtics don’t have many other ways to infuse talent, at least without utilizing their available exceptions and trying to navigate the luxury tax in the process. , we investigated the “small tweaks” path, which could patch some holes that the playoffs exposed in this core. Today, it’s time to get a little more uncomfortable. Mission statement Commit to bringing back the Jays but revamp the core pieces around them, using key members of the 2024 championship team as assets in trades and then utilizing available exceptions to fill out a roster that still accomplishes tax goals by season’s end. The path We can hear your snarling through your computer or phone. I have a young niece, Allie, who worships Derrick White. She might revoke her Celtics fandom if they trade him, and might attack me for even writing this article. But the reality is that, if you’re not convinced small tweaks are enough to push this team forward, then it’s going to take some pain to get to the level these Celtics yearn to reach. Just revisit past failures. Stiff-armed by the veteran Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Celtics crafted a package built around a young Aaron Nesmith and traded for Malcolm Brogdon. Even after Brogdon produced a Sixth Man of the Year season, it was clear the Celtics needed a larger overhaul of their core, and Stevens made the tough choices the following summer to send out Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Brogdon in order to bring back Holiday and Porzingis. Those moves were jaw-droppers in the moment. It forced the Celtics to move on from beloved pieces of their core. But it got the team where it wanted to go by delivering a 2024 title. The wish list Here’s the hard part: Trading any of the White-Hauser-Pritchard trio is neither ideal nor easy to find surefire upgrades. Every team in the league is searching for their own Derrick White, and even in a poor shooting season, he was vital to Boston’s overall success given his absurd basketball IQ, particularly on the defensive end. Hauser is making less-than-midlevel money and is the sort of bargain shooter whom every contender covets. Pritchard can sign a big-money extension in October but remains maybe the best value in the NBA for the next two seasons. The uncomfortable question is whether the Celtics missed a chance to fully cash in on White’s value last offseason when teams such as the Magic were launching first-round picks for players like Desmond Bane, and do you wait any longer as lottery reform and a new CBA make it tougher for teams to part with draft assets? Good luck finding a deal involving White that shores up Boston’s frontcourt. Could you flip White to his hometown Nuggets in exchange for Aaron Gordon? Sure, and if you could guarantee us 70-plus games of a healthy Gordon, we’d at least listen. But Gordon is only a year younger and makes the same money. You could call the Cavaliers about Jarrett Allen, but they’re already swimming in guards, especially if they bring back James Harden. We’d call the Timberwolves to see if there’s anything you can build around Naz Reid, though he’s as beloved there as White is here. Maybe you contact Detroit about a deal bringing back Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart? If Portland strikes out on a Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit, could you pitch them on reuniting the Holiday/White backcourt in exchange for some younger pieces? You can reach out to New Orleans about a deal built around Trey Murphy III but likely need a third team to ensure White lands with a contender. The Hauser situation is slightly less complicated. It’s not hard to hunt moves where Hauser’s salary helps target a big man. Detroit, whose lack of shooting was obvious during its own early playoff exit, might be intrigued by a Hauser-for-Stewart swap. The Celtics have a gaggle of young wings who can try to fill Hauser’s void — even if few in the league can shoot it as well as Hauser has in his Boston tenure. It probably doesn’t even make sense to ponder Pritchard trades until his next deal kicks in, bu... Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:31:06 GMT Chris Forsberg https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56820327 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56820327 false false If at any point between, let’s say, March 6 and April 26, you had asked us to forecast what the summer of 2026 might look like for the Boston Celtics, we might have suggested a rather quiet offseason could be looming. From the moment in early March until the night Boston took a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers, even the immediate future felt limitless. Drunk on Green Kool-Aid from an expectation-shattering regular season, we wondered out loud about Boston’s title chances this year, especially given Tatum’s absurd recovery, and the internal development of young talent thrust into bigger roles. Then the Sixers won three straight games. Boston got bounced in Round 1. If that alone didn’t kill our buzz, watching the Knicks rip off 11 straight wins while Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs arrived at the Finals waaaaaaay ahead of schedule sure did. Now, instead of that quiet summer, we’ve had basically a full month of pundits screaming about . That’s just the way things go in the NBA. The playoffs have a way of thrusting teams into a harsher spotlight. And in the span of just 10 bad quarters, it became fair to wonder if more drastic measures are needed to get Boston back on the level of the league’s elite. While we believe all options should be on the table for the Celtics this summer, is there still a case for a quieter summer? For Part 1 of our annual “The Path” series, we’re examining an offseason where the Celtics don’t overreact to an early playoff demise and how that might give the team the best long-term chance to get back to the title stage. , outlining how some financial responsibility this offseason could position the Celtics to take some much bigger swings in the summer of 2027. That doesn’t mean punting on the 2026-27 campaign. What it means is banking heavily on the idea that the experience the Celtics gained this past season — combined with some upgrades at key spots — might be enough to position Boston as an East favorite without having to shake up the core. A chance to be a bit more aggressive with roster upgrades would loom next summer. So what might a small-tweak summer look like? Let’s break it down: Mission statement Commit to bringing back the entire core of the 2025-26 team while hunting upgrades at key spots. The Celtics could utilize exceptions to add talent, potentially scaling above the luxury tax line to start the season, but with an expectation that they would evaluate the roster in advance of February’s NBA trade deadline and dip back below the tax at that point in order to reset repeater penalties. The path The small-tweak summer leaves the Celtics banking that … From there, the Celtics would make a series of moves. Our wish list would include: 1. Sign center Robert Williams III utilizing the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. Williams III played in 59 games last season, even as Portland delicately managed his minutes. He showed well in the postseason, even while jousting with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the first round. The combo of Queta and Williams III gives you a legitimate 1-2 punch at the center spot with Luka Garza there to eat up leftover minutes. 2. Trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft to select Santa Clara forward Allen Graves. Utilize available assets to navigate the draft board with the goal of adding Allen Graves with a first-round pick and home-growing the next power forward on your roster. We were already intrigued by the Draymond Green comps, then Graves said he’s been crushing tape of Naz Reid and Al Horford. Wow we’re sold this is the guy for Boston. 3. Consider high-upside trades utilizing a portion of the Anfernee Simons traded player exception. The Celtics likely would be hard-capped at the first apron if they use the non-taxpayer MLE and can’t spend too richly if that is utilized. But they should be ambitious hunting a big guard or an established power forward to beef up the roster. We’re calling Orlando to check on Wendell Carter Jr. given the Magic’s bloated cap sheet (though that would likely mean sitting out a full midlevel splurge). Can you tempt Detroit with some shooting in a quest to trade for Isaiah Stewart? What it looks like Instead of introducing elevated risk by moving on from championship-proven pieces, the Celtics give this core a chance to see what’s possible with a healthier Tatum and kick bolder decisions further down the road. If it’s clear the Celtics remain a tier below the league’s elite, there are pathways to start a transition before February’s trade deadline. Regardless of how it plays out, the Celtics are well positioned in the aftermath to make some far bolder swings in the summer of 2027. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:17:18 GMT Chris Forsberg https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56810482 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56810482 false false Should the Boston Celtics go all in on a Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit? Before we even weigh the pros and cons, let’s start with a series of unassailable truths: 1. When your season ends in disappointment three times in a four-year span — even if there’s a title campaign wedged in the middle — it’s absolutely fair to . It would be front office malpractice if the Celtics did not at least ponder . 2. One of the most endearing qualities of a well-run team is having the necessary assets to pursue a big-ticket player whenever they become available. And it’s rare. Former president of basketball operations Danny Ainge used to talk a lot about being ready for those types of moments, when a team pushes all their chips in. It led to pursuits of everyone from Kevin Garnett to Kyrie Irving. The Celtics have a rare combination of assets and infrastructure that can attract a player of Antetokounmpo’s stature. Only a handful of teams can truly get in on that bidding. 3. Brad Stevens is a GM ninja. He moves in silence. If something is rumored, it’s usually not happening. From the Derrick White midseason addition in 2022 to the jaw-dropping swap that sent Marcus Smart out in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis to kickstart the 2023 summer overhaul, Stevens’ trade transactions typically come out of left field. Proceed with caution. Now, the Giannis question. Imagine hopping in a Time Machine to, let’s say, 2017, when poor Aron Baynes was risking his body to prevent Antetokounmpo poster dunks and Celtics fans were trying to convince themselves that Semi Ojeleye could be a Giannis Stopper. (We still believe!) Ainge might have traded a decade worth of first-round picks and three of his children to acquire Antetokounmpo at that point. We spent most of the 2010s fretting how Kelly Olynyk went two picks before Antetokounmpo, even if Olynyk remains a Celtics legend for that Game 7 against the Wizards. But it’s 2026. Olynyk is 35 now (but still chasing a title with the Spurs this season). And Father Time headlines our list of cons when it comes to any potential Antetokounmpo pursuit. 1. Shrinking the window Antetokounmpo will turn 32 early in the 2026-27 season. While it’s not unprecedented for stars to win rings past that age — Michael Jordan’s second three-peat came after 32, and Stephen Curry broke the hearts of the Celtics in 2022 at age 34 — it’s also fair to wonder how his body will hold up the next half decade while he’s on a maximum deal. Despite playing just 36 games this season, Antetokounmpo’s basketball odometer eclipsed 30,000 total minutes. Every one of his collisions feels like a car wreck. He finished third in MVP voting two seasons ago, so we don’t want to overstate the age concerns. But an Antetokounmpo pursuit does seem to suggest a finite window. 2. Same cap concerns, less wiggle room What the Celtics and the rest of the NBA are trying to figure out at the moment is whether you can build a roster centered around two max-contract superstar players and still have enough money to build out the depth necessary to thrive. The Celtics, having dipped below the tax this past season, with the current core, all without necessarily sacrificing being a contender. An Antetokounmpo addition, and the limited window it affords, seemingly would be better embraced by a team that can splurge immediately. The Celtics can certainly do that with existing exceptions, but it’s going to be a super costly roster with limited pathways to hitting the reboot button. 3. Risk management One more unassailable truth here: The combination of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has won a title together while enjoying an absurd amount of playoff success together. Stiff-armed early in their title pursuits, the Jays got over that hump together in 2024. Call us hopeless romantics, but we’d love the storyline of them overcoming a new batch of obstacles to reach the mountaintop again. They’ve proven they can be a title team with the right pieces alongside. Are we sure an Antetokounmpo/Tatum combo works? Talent is king and pairing two top-five players in the NBA is undeniably intriguing. But you’re introducing a whole new level risk to a team that might have safer pathways to jumpstarting the next title pursuit. 4. Overhauling the culture Even , a Brown-for-Antetokounmpo swap dramatically overhauls the leadership dynamic in place in Boston. Brown, thrust into the lead role this past season, didn’t just thrive on the court with . He also embraced the youngest players on the team and accelerated their development. Don’t take for granted what Brown means to not only the Celtics, but the city of Boston, too. The counterargument? It’s Giannis. He’s literally a Freak. Fortune favors the bold. If you feel this core has maxed out its potential, and if the landscape of the NBA — with two juggernauts blossoming out West — leaves you fretting the path to title contention, then pushing all-in for Antetokounmpo is an intriguing short-term swing. We’ll also relent that Brown... Thu, 28 May 2026 14:33:28 GMT Chris Forsberg https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56769229 https://sportspyder.com/nba/boston-celtics/articles/56769229 false false