On May 12 2025, the Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, were on the brink of a dynasty. The Celtics had one of the best net-ratings of all-time in 2024 with a rating of +11.6. A net rating measures the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive performance with anything above +3.0 considered good, and anything above +10 ranking among the best. Their performance this season was no different as they continued their mantra of deadly three point shooting.
However, the Celtics’ championship aspirations were crushed during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. Tatum had just hit his 40th point of the night when he blitzed through a screen from opposing player Karl Anthony-Towns and shortly muscled in home the layup. But shortly after this shot, Tatum’s season would come to an end after his pass to Jaylen Brown would be fumbled as a result of a cross hit from Knicks player Mikal Bridges. This is when Tatum suffered from what appeared to be a devastating non-contact achilles injury. When it’s all said and done, this injury will go down to be one of the most consequential injuries in National Basketball Association (NBA) history.
Achilles injuries are very difficult to recover from, and most NBA players are never the same even after recovery. Some infamous examples include Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups and Rudy Gay who all saw a decline in their performances after the injury. While there have been some successful comebacks, such as the cases of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, the risk of recurring injuries are still very high.
One thing is for certain: Tatum is out for the rest of the playoffs. Roster changes to the team will be made after their 4-2 loss to the New York Knicks. It is important to note that even before Tatum’s injury, The Celtics’ front office was planning to make significant roster changes during the summer. Reports from NBA insider Shams Charania suggested that the team was looking to trade their Center Kristaps Porzingis and Point Guard Jrue Holiday. Currently, Porzingis and Holiday’s trade values are significantly low as Porzingis continues to struggle with injuries and has therefore seen a reduction in playing time. While Holiday, at age 36, signed a $135 million four year contract which the Celtics cannot afford due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). So, it’s unlikely that either Porzingis or Holiday stay on the roster this offseason. Additionally, Jaylen Brown’s $304 million five year supermax contract, signed last summer, has proven to be horrible for the team due to the CBA and his regression this season. So it’s needless to say that his future with the Celtics is also uncertain. As for Center Al Horford, it doesn’t seem plausible to keep him on the team due to his age of 38 years.
There have been rumors, however, that the Celtics are interested in acquiring superstar Giannis Antentokounmpo, who may leave the Milwaukee Bucks to try to win another championship. If this trade were to happen, though, Brown would most likely have to be included in that trade package. But with Brown’s contract, Porzingis’ injuries and Holiday’s age, trade scenarios are very complicated as the Celtics also have a limited amount of first round picks.
With Tatum’s estimated return in 2026, the league will be entirely different. There will be one to two new NBA champions while he’s gone, and the Celtics would have made significant roster changes that he will have to adjust to. With Tatum on the sideline, it’s unclear if he will be able to get back to the level he was previously at and contend for a championship like he did during the past few years.