Jayson Tatum expected to return a very different roster

Even if these Boston Celtics repeated this season, the team was expected to shake up its core for financial reasons this offseason. That meant the likely departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Now with Jayson Tatum expected to miss all of the 2025-26 season, the team's new ownership and Brad Stevens could very likely make an even bigger change.

There really isn't one player on this current Celtics team, that just won a championship 11 months ago mind you, that we can confidently pencil in on the 2026-27 roster when Tatum likely returns than Jayson himself. Jaylen Brown is the most likely candidate based on his skill level and super max contract, but if Stevens determines it's easier to retool with only one super max contract now would be the time to get the most out of a Brown trade.

Holiday and Porzingis are still expected to be moved this offseason and AL Horford will be 40 years old when the 2026 season begins. That leaves Derrick White who the Celtics reportedly wanted to keep as their third guy prior to the devastating Tatum injury and Payton Pritchard. Stevens might now decide to move on from White as he will be 32 when Tatum likely returns. Pritchard would appear safe, but he will be knocking on 30 by the time Tatum returns and again there is no guarantee he isn't moved.

The rest of the roster doesn't have much value around the league and the Celtics aren't wed to any of depth chart after the top 7 so they should likely be renting in Boston for now. Even if Stevens doesn't go for a major shake-up it's still unliklely that more than just a couple of the top 7 will still be Celtics when Tatum returns. The most one could expect is three if let's say Boston retains Brown, White, and Pritchard.

via HOOPSHYPE

Stevens has traded draft picks in order to create this veteran win now team and they did just that last season. But with the loss of picks also comes the inability to round out your rotation with potentially really good players on team friendly rookie deals.

Al Horford for example has been such a major part of these Celtic teams since being reaquired (in addition to his original stint), but dumping Kemba Walker's contract cost the Celtics the first round pick that became a young All-Star center in Alperen Sengun. White also cost the Celtics a first round pick and a future swap though that deal remains one of Stevens' best for sure.

Trading Aaron Nesmith for Malcom Brogdon also cost the Celtics another 1st round pick. And then upgrading from Brogdon to Holiday cost the Celtics more first round capital (and Robert Williams).

The Celtics won the title last season and there is no guarantee they would have without White, Holiday, Horford, and Poringis complimenting the supermax Jay's, so this isn't a Monday Morning quarterback thing. It's just stating the obvious that the win now moves proved to be successful, but now when this title contending squad gets the news they just did about Tatum, it leaves them in a tougher position.

Stevens is similar to Danny Ainge in that he's not just going to let his roster get old and retire. Stevens is going to make some major moves starting this summer. When the dust settles, Jayson Tatum will be returning for the 2026-27 season to a new team, which very likely could be stripped of all or near to all of this current roster.

Stevens job is to now assemble the next Celtics title contending team. Assuming Tatum comes back at near to 100% he at least has the centerpiece in place.


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