Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jaylen Brown gear up for another season looking to remain competitive in the East. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Get Caught Up
2024-25 Record: 61-21 (2nd in East, lost in Conference Semifinals)
Championship expectations engulfed Boston before last season ever began. After bringing back virtually their entire title-winning roster, the Celtics spent the regular season proving they could become the NBA’s first repeat champions in seven years. But they ran into a resilient Knicks squad in the East Semifinals, and Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury changed the complexion of 2025-26 for the franchise.
Forced to proceed without their five-time All-NBA forward, Boston retooled for the season ahead by swapping out pricey stars for more affordable talents. This is not the Celtics roster that many expected them to have entering last year’s playoffs, but proven scorers remain in the picture as the group looks to remain competitive in the East.
Offseason
- Re-signing: N/A
- Additions: Chris Boucher (free agent), Luka Garza (free agent), Josh Minott (free agent), Anfernee Simons (trade),
- Draft: Hugo González (28th pick), Amari Williams (46th pick, acquired via trade), Max Shulga (57th pick, acquired via trade)
- Departures: JD Davison (waived), Jrue Holiday (trade), Luke Kornet (free agent), Kristaps Porziņģis (trade)
- Unsigned Free Agents: Torrey Craig, Al Horford
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens shipped away a pair of core contributors in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis to reset the team’s luxury taxes. The former move brought Anfernee Simons to Boston – an established guard who’s averaged at least 17 points per game in each of the last four seasons. Stevens later welcomed Chris Boucher, Luka Garza and Josh Minott to give coach Joe Mazzulla further options to work with.
Three of five starters from 2024-25 will not take the parquet floor for Boston on opening night. That leaves the door wide open for fresh faces to step up and support stalwarts Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard while the city awaits Tatum’s return. Brown, in particular, will likely have an even larger role in the offense. The four-time All-Star averaged 22.2 points per game last year – his sixth consecutive season averaging 20+ per night – and could threaten his own career-high mark of 26.6 set during his Second Team All-NBA 2022-23 campaign.
The Pride of Portugal 🇵🇹🙌
Neemi and @fpbasquetebol are headed to the #EuroBasket Knockout Phase for the first time ever pic.twitter.com/wYa1zIzmMm
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 3, 2025
Center Neemias Queta is expected to jump into a larger role for the Celtics this year and is coming off a strong showing in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, where he led Portugal to its best finish in the history of the tournament.
X-factor
Payton Pritchard. It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride for the 27-year-old guard since reportedly requesting a trade in Feb. 2023. A year later, he won a ring with Boston, and the year afterwards was named Kia Sixth Man of the Year. The 6-foot-1 Oregon product could potentially be a starting point guard for the first time in his NBA career.
Entering his sixth campaign, Pritchard is an established sharpshooter with terrific range, as well as an aggressive driver who finds his way regularly to the rim. Last season’s 14.3 points per game represented a big leap – he led all Boston non-centers with a 47.2% field-goal percentage despite a team-high 80 games played. Now stepping into the role he once thought he would have to find elsewhere, Pritchard is in position to put on a show.
> Watch Payton Pritchard on NBA League Pass
One key question
How will Jaylen Brown take to the spotlight? It’s been over eight years since the guard/forward last donned the green for a season without Tatum by his side. He’s developed into a bona fide All-Star since then, but “The Two Jays” have thrived off of each other for years. Losing that one-two punch could force some challenging adjustments, on the offensive side, especially.
An established rapport with White and Pritchard – among others – can only help. Multiple departed playmakers, though, puts extra pressure on Brown to produce at an even higher level after submitting 22.2 points per game in 2024-25. It feels like the Celtics are in his hands, and we haven’t yet seen what he can do holding the reins for an extended period of time.
Fantasy Outlook from RotoWire
The team at RotoWire broke down the top fantasy options for each team in the East. Here’s how they broke down some of the best options from the Celtics:
“The squad faces a significant challenge ahead, as Tatum could be sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season, but they should remain competitive, considering an 8-2 record in regular-season games without him last year. The Celtics also picked up Anfernee Simons, who is a high-level scorer and will give them another dimension with added flair in the backcourt. The trio of Simons, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown will account for the bulk of the offense and largely determine how far the team can go without Tatum in the lineup.”
Key dates
- Preseason Opener: Oct. 8 at Grizzlies (8 ET, League Pass)
- Regular Season/Home Opener: Oct. 22 vs. 76ers (7:30 ET, League Pass)
- Emirates NBA Cup East Group B Play: Oct. 31 at 76ers (7 ET, Prime), Nov. 7 at Magic (7 ET, League Pass), Nov. 21 vs. Nets (7:30 ET, League Pass), Nov. 26 vs. Pistons (5 ET, ESPN)
- MLK Day: Jan. 19 at Pistons (8 ET, NBC & Peacock)
What they’re saying
Jay King, The Athletic: “If everything goes right, White and Pritchard should benefit from their additional opportunities and Simons’ defense should improve in the Celtics culture. The vision for this team is probably to run at a much faster pace while scoring and scoring and scoring some more. That could work, but the guards will need to be great.” (Read More)
