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Celtics in transition: How Tatum's injury affects the season!
The Boston Celtics face a crucial 2025 offseason following Tatum's injury and playoff exit. Salary structure and roster redesign are the focus.
Celtics in transition: How Tatum's injury affects the season!
The Boston Celtics are in the midst of a crucial offseason marked by significant challenges. After winning the NBA championship in 2024, the Celtics fell in the second round of the 2025 playoffs to the New York Knicks. In particular, the tragic fate of superstar Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the series and had to undergo surgery, raises questions. The 26-year-old player is expected to miss most, if not all, games of the upcoming 2025-26 season, significantly impacting the team's plans. NBA insider Shams Charania of NESN reports that the Celtics have already developed a plan for the coming months.
In order to stay within the salary cap and restructure the roster, Brad Stevens and the front office must explore multiple options. This could mean that they either want to compete for the title, despite Tatum's absence, or reshape the roster to be better positioned for the future. Charania explains that the team sees this offseason as a year of restructuring, but without losing sight of competitiveness.
Financial challenges and squad development
The Celtics face rising salary costs as their salary cap is expected to top $260 million. This could result in a tax bill of over $250 million, causing the team's total cost structure to exceed $500 million. In this financially strained situation, the Celtics must make quick decisions about their roster. Several players, including Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser, could be involved in trade rumors, while the team composition remains uncertain due to the salary cap.
In total, the Celtics have 13 players under contract for the 2025-26 season, including all five starters. Key players include:
| player | position | Annual salary (USD) | Old |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum | F | 54,126,450 | 26 |
| Jaylen Brown | F | 53,142,264 | 28 |
| Jrue Holiday | G | 32,400,000 | 35 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | F | 30,731,707 | 30 |
| Derrick White | G | 28,100,000 | 31 |
| Sam Hauser | F | 10,044,644 | 28 |
| Payton Pritchard | G | 7,232,143 | 28 |
| Baylor Scheierman | G | 2,619,000 | 25 |
| Xavier Tillman | C | 2,546,675 | 27 |
| Neemias Queta | C | 2,349,578 (Partially Guaranteed) | 26 |
| J.D. Davison | G | 2,270,735 (Team Option) | 23 |
| Jordan Walsh | F | 2,221,677 (Partially Guaranteed) | 20 |
| Miles Norris | F | Two ways | 24 |
The Celtics also have four free agents this year: Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Torrey Craig and Drew Peterson. The uncertainty surrounding these players' futures could force the team to take drastic measures to meet salary cap space. Joe Mazzulla will be entering his fourth season as coach of the Celtics, but his position could also be affected by the upcoming changes.
The NBA Draft and the future of the Celtics
Amid these uncertainties, the Celtics have two picks in the top 32 of the 2025 NBA Draft: their own first pick (28th overall) and the Wizards' second-round pick (32nd overall). These picks could be crucial in strengthening the roster while the team tries to maintain financial balance. Given the challenges ahead, the organization must carefully consider how it will shape its roster this offseason.
The coming months will be crucial in determining how the Boston Celtics handle Jayson Tatum's absence and what steps are taken to field a competitive team. The pressure to achieve both short-term and long-term success could have a lasting impact on the team's direction.
NESN reports that the Celtics face a crucial offseason, while Sporting News highlights the financial challenges they must overcome.