On paper, the Boston Celtics’ roster has gotten weaker compared to previous seasons.
In 2024, the Boston Celtics finally ended their championship drought of 16 seasons by lifting the illustrious Larry O’Brien trophy.
The 2024-25 NBA season, however, wasn’t kind to the Celtics. After all, their cornerstone superstar, Jayson Tatum, suffered an Achilles tendon injury.
As a result, Tatum is expected to miss a major chunk of the 2025-26 season. Keeping that in mind, head coach Joe Mazzulla will likely have a tough time getting his team among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.
Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty ImagesBiggest additions to the Boston Celtics’ roster
In Tatum’s absence, Jaylen Brown is expected to be the primary star for the team. Many believe Brown is not ready for such responsibility during the 2025-26 season.
Despite a cloud of doubt hovering over the C’s head, the front office has made a few additions to the roster to help Brown.
Here are all the additions made by the Celtics ahead of the upcoming season:
Chris Boucher (Signed as a free agent)Luka Garza (Signed as a free agent)Josh Minott (Signed as a free agent)Anfernee Simons (Traded from Portland Trail Blazers)
The arrival of Anfernee Simons is undoubtedly the most exciting move made by GM Brad Stevens. Now, it’s up to Mazzulla to figure out a place for Simons in the Celtics’ lineup for the 2025-26 season.
Biggest departures from the Boston Celtics’ roster
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With the NBA’s second apron rules as strict as they are right now, the Celtics had to blow up their championship core to save on the luxury tax.
As a result, the Celtics parted ways with defensive juggernaut Jrue Holiday. They also traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks.
Keeping that in mind, here are all the departures from the Celtics’ roster this summer:
Jrue Holiday (Traded to Portland Trail Blazers)Kristaps Porzingis (Traded to Atlanta Hawks)Georges Niang (Traded to Utah Jazz)Luke Kornet (Left as a free agent)JD Davidson (Waived)
It seems like the Celtics are committing to taking a gap year until Tatum returns from injury. But it will be interesting to see if the players on the roster feel the same about the upcoming season.