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Coming off their 2024 NBA championship high, the Boston Celtics entered the 2024–25 season with the same swagger and an expectation to repeat. Their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Derrick White looked battle-tested and hungry. However, adversity came knocking. Late in the playoffs, Jayson Tatum suffered a significant injury that will keep him out for the majority of the 2025 campaign.
Meanwhile, offseason strategic blunders early in the free agency have put the upcoming season in doubt for the Celtics. Will they make a championship run again with very little core left, or will it be a mediocre season?
The Boston Celtics finish the 2024-25 season with 61 wins, just three shy of their total from their record-setting 2023-24 season — all while having their full starting lineup for 13 fewer games than last season. pic.twitter.com/GeHoMsGLb3
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) April 13, 2025
Despite remaining a top defensive team, the offensive burden fell squarely on Brown and White, with diminishing support from aging veterans like Al Horford and a declining bench unit. Boston fought hard, grinding out wins, but lacked the late-game killer instinct that Tatum often provided. Their playoff run was ended by the Knicks, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their once-dominant core.
The toll of injuries: Tatum’s absence and its ripple effects
Tatum’s injury didn’t just cost the Celtics games; it cost them identity. Without their superstar forward, Boston struggled with spacing, isolation scoring, and executing shots under pressure with the late shot clock. While Jaylen Brown stepped up admirably, his limitations as a playmaker were once again highlighted. The offensive system, heavily predicated on Tatum’s dual-threat capability, sputtered.
Meanwhile, Boston’s attempts to adjust through deeper bench rotations revealed another issue: a roster that had gone all-in for last year’s title and was now showing cracks in sustainability.
Free agents on the move: The departures of Porziņģis, Holiday, Kornet, and Horford
The 2025 offseason was pivotal. Instead of retooling around their core, the Celtics found themselves hemorrhaging key talent. Kristaps Porziņģis, whose size and shot-blocking were vital to their interior defense and spacing, left in free agency, possibly due to health concerns and contract uncertainty. Jrue Holiday, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and a calming veteran presence, also departed after declining a player option.
Boston will always be special in my heart.
Huge thank you to the organization, coaches, staff, my teammates and the fans!
Class organization. Forever grateful. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/z1KhKocN1I— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) June 25, 2025
On the fringes, Luke Kornet, an underrated contributor and locker room favorite, was not retained. He joined the San Antonio Spurs in free agency. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Al Horford is finally looking for options outside Boston. In total, the Celtics lost four rotation players who played critical roles on both ends of the floor, creating a leadership and depth vacuum.
Strategic missteps: The Celtic's early free agency blunders
In the wake of these departures, Boston’s front office had cap room and a championship pedigree to attract free agents. Yet their early moves were surprisingly cautious and uninspired. Rather than aggressively pursuing mid-tier veterans or high-upside young players, they focused on internal development and marginal signings that didn’t adequately replace the production they lost.
One glaring mistake was the failure to prioritize a defensive big man to replace Porziņģis and Horford. Another was letting Holiday walk without securing a point-of-attack defender in return. While Boston drafted well in 2025, rookies alone cannot fill the void left by seasoned vets, especially on a team with title aspirations.
This passive approach feels less like calculated patience and more like indecision. For a team so close to sustained dominance, Boston now risks squandering its championship window.
Why the Celtics' 2025 offseason strategy fell short
Gonna look good in green ☘️ pic.twitter.com/3T09742IB7
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 1, 2025
The Celtics entered the 2025 draft with the No. 28 and No. 32 overall picks. After using their first rounder to select Spanish combo guard Hugo Gonzalez, they traded down from the No. 32 pick, acquiring the No. 46 and No. 57 picks, which were used on center Amari Williams and sharpshooting guard Max Shulga. Considering Boston's need for young, cost-controlled talent, making three selections seems like good business.
