The Boston Celtics suddenly find themselves entering a very important offseason after they crashed out of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, losing to the New York Knicks in six games in their Eastern Conference semifinals series. With Jayson Tatum expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 campaign after he suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4 against the Knicks, the Celtics front office suddenly needs to seriously revamp their roster, with the 2025 NBA draft being one area where the team can add young, cost-controlled talent.

Boston is armed with the No. 28 and No. 32 overall picks in the draft. They could use these picks to bring in new players, or they could be used as chips to help facilitate a trade. If the Celtics do end up hanging onto these picks, particularly their first rounder, they could look to add to their big man rotation, with Stanford basketball forward Maxime Raynaud being linked to the team as a potential fit.

“While he is not the best athlete, Raynaud can be a decent rim protector who will immediately make a team's second-unit offense better,” Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints wrote. “If he is still on the board at 28th overall, it is hard to envision the Boston Celtics passing on a player with Raynaud's skills.”

Celtics set for wildly important offseason after crashing out of 2025 NBA Playoffs

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Boston was already staring down the barrel of a potentially explosive offseason due to the team being over the second apron of the league's new salary cap, but Tatum's injury has put them in a tough position. The team could conceivably attempt to contend for a title even without their best player, or they could use this offseason as an opportunity to reset their salary and get under the second apron to avoid some steep financial penalties.

Unearthing gems in the draft is a good way to get out of salary cap trouble, which makes Raynaud an intriguing prospect for the C's, especially since Al Horford and Luke Kornet are hitting free agency, and Kristaps Porzingis could end up getting traded. A lot could happen between now and the draft, but if the Celtics hang onto this pick, and Raynaud is still available, this could be a match made in heaven for both sides.