Scan the NBA Futures odds among various sportsbooks and related sites and it’s clear that the Celtics are still considered one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boston is ranked a strong third among conference teams behind only the defending champion Knicks and the offseason champion Sixers. Philadelphia gained that unofficial title by the stunning Jaylen Brown trade within the division with the Celtics, who received Paul George and draft picks in return. And, of course, some guy named LeBron signed with the Sixers as well.
Compare the Celtics roster to other potential contenders and it’s certainly no slam dunk that they are above that pack. The Pistons had the best record in the conference last season. The Cavaliers reached the conference finals and retained their core group. Miami and Toronto traded for star power, while the Pacers are one season removed from the Finals and get their franchise player, Tyrese Haliburton, back in the lineup this season.
Naturally, the Celtics’ fortunes hinge on how well Jayson Tatum’s body holds up to the rigors of an NBA season. He made a swift recovery from the Achilles tendon rupture he suffered during the 2025 postseason and appeared in 16 games last season. Without Brown, Tatum will have to carry an enormous offensive load night in and night out.
George, 36, can’t be relied upon to suit up every night and he’s past his prime after making nine All-Star teams. George has only appeared in more than 56 games once over the past seven seasons.
The backcourt duo of Derrick White and Payton Pritchard is a solid, if unspectacular duo, and more is expected of 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman this season. The one obvious upgrade the Celtics made was at the back end of the defense with free agent addition Mitchell Robinson. He’ll share minutes with Neemias Queta at center.
Many pundits felt the Celtics would take a tumble down the standings last season due to all their cost-cutting moves to get below the second tax apron. Instead, they finished with the second-best record in the conference and those personnel losses didn’t catch up to them until the playoffs, when they squandered a 3-1 series lead to the Sixers. So it’s never wise to underestimate their franchise.
However, the East overall looks to be a lot stronger this season than last.
That brings us to our topic of the day: Do you agree with the oddsmakers that the Celtics are the third-best team in the East? If not, where do you rank them among the conference contenders?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.