The NBA trade deadline is less than 24 hours away, so that means everybody is taking a closer look at the injury report to see which players are listed as out and possibly headed elsewhere. The Boston Celtics will give people a lot to look at given their lengthy injury report ahead of a Wednesday night showdown with the Houston Rockets, but their absences aren’t all trade-related.
Since the Celtics’ trip to Houston comes on the second night of a back-to-back, they’ll sit multiple players due to rest. For example, Celtics star Jaylen Brown is listed as out because of left hamstring tightness and right knee soreness — almost the same exact reasoning given for his rest day against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 30.
Nov 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The five-time All-Star is fresh off a 33-point performance during a 110-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday evening. Celtics wing Sam Hauser’s presence on the injury report can likely be attributed to rest as well. The part-time shooter is officially out with a right thumb strain.
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The other Celtics on the injury report aren’t necessarily resting, though. Of course, Celtics star Jayson Tatum is sidelined as he continues to rehab his ruptured Achilles. But Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, who’s unavailable due to “personal reasons,” will miss Wednesday’s game because he was reportedly traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic on Tuesday.
That deal isn’t final, yet Simons won’t play regardless. Celtics forward Chris Boucher is out for personal reasons too, but whether or not that has to do with the trade rumors he’s been a part of remains to be seen.
With all of these injury designations — and Rockets star Kevin Durant marked as probable to return against the 32-18 Celtics — it’ll be up to point guard Payton Pritchard and shooting guard Derrick White to lead the charge for Boston. The Rockets are winners of 3 straight and boast an impressive record of 17-4 at the Toyota Center.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown joins four other Celtics on injury report ahead of Rockets showdown