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The Boston Celtics have made the playoffs 11 seasons running, which is enough for the longest active streak in the NBA. Reaching the postseason has been an afterthought for them, yet that streak could be in jeopardy for the first time in over a decade.
The 2025-26 Celtics are surrounded by question marks. Boston doesn't know when star Jayson Tatum will return from a devastating Achilles rupture. Plus, it's still waiting on a free agent decision from veteran big man Al Horford, who'd likely serve as starting center if he shocked the basketball world and stayed in Beantown.
Its starting lineup might even be in flux, as current Celtics guard Anfernee Simons has reportedly had his name thrown around in trade talks. With all these uncertainties in mind, an anonymous Celtics front office executive admitted that the Green Team is a work in progress, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.
“Still figuring it all out,” the source said when asked about roster changes. “We’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there.”
In an effort to duck under the new CBA's restrictive second apron, the Celtics traded away two key members from their 2024 title run: guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis.
“It sucked to trade Jrue and KP, because we loved those guys and they loved Boston,” the source revealed. “But it was being brutally honest that we aren’t the same level of team without Jayson.”
Brad Stevens didn’t shy away from why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis:
“The second apron is why.” pic.twitter.com/LXe7RdFD4X
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) July 8, 2025
As a result of its massive moves, the C's don't have to shed a lot more salary to avoid the second apron and its plethora of penalties. However, they'll likely be forced to dump a minor contract in the coming weeks via trade or a simple roster cut.
It'll be another necessary change in what's already been a difficult and bleak offseason for the Celtics. That doesn't mean the aforementioned source is giving up on the 2025-26 campaign, though.
“We’ll be good,” the executive stated. “We’ll be a playoff team, but…you know. [The second apron] will come for every team that lands where we did. You can’t be over the second apron and not a title contender. It’s just poor management for both the short- and long-term. The frozen pick and pick dropping stuff is real.”
How will the Celtics approach the upcoming regular season?
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens expects his squad to compete, but, like the anonymous executive, he realizes how the second apron has significantly impacted next season.
“When you trade guys like Jrue and KP, there's some retooling going on,” Stevens said during a press conference in early July.
Since eight of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference advance to the playoffs, the Celtics will always have a shot at extending their postseason streak. They still roster 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, starting guard Derrick White, and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard. That's a solid and talented foundation that makes a “tanking year” unlikely for the Celtics.
Brad Stevens mentioned Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard when talking about the “foundation” of the Celtics:
“A lot of teams would love to have [that foundation].” pic.twitter.com/L8l0PA5EI9
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 26, 2025
“You're always building and growing towards something,” Stevens stressed. “And for this group, we've got so many guys back that are really good players that [rebuilding] is not going to be part of the lexicon in our building, and that's the way we're going to focus moving forward.”
Unfortunately for Celtics fans, every member of the Green Team, and the front office, Tatum's injury still looms large. There's no denying that the Celts' aren't the same without their perennial All-Star, and going deep into the playoffs in his absence seems improbable. As it stands, banner No. 19 feels more than a year away, even if Stevens and Smith's source won't outright say it.
