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When Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum went down with a season-ending Achilles injury, fellow star Jaylen Brown was asked to lead the way in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Unfortunately for Boston, Brown was dealing with a serious injury of his own.
The longest-tenured Celtic finished the season with a partially torn right meniscus. Although he managed to play through the pain for the last month of the regular season and miss zero playoff games, Boston failed to advance past the second round for the first time since 2021.
As a result of the early offseason, Brown has already underwent surgery on his right knee. The Celtics announced that the procedure was successful and that the four-time All-Star is expected to join his teammates for training camp in September “without limitation.”
Jaylen Brown today underwent a successful right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure. He is expected to participate in training camp without limitation. pic.twitter.com/KijF7Fc30G
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 11, 2025
Jaylen Brown looks poised to lead the Celtics next season
With Tatum out for at least several months, Brown is the Celtics' obvious go-to guy for the 2025-26 season.
Boston's need to shed payroll this summer in order to avoid the second apron is well-known, yet it still prefers to retain Brown, per ESPN insider Shams Charania. Moving him would help the Celtics bypass the $53 million he's owed next season, but it'd leave the Green Team without a leader.
Following a crushing Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks in May that knocked the C's out of the playoffs, Brown made it clear that he didn't want this to be the end of Boston's championship window — and of his time in Beantown.
“I'm looking forward to coming back stronger,” he told reporters after the 38-point loss. “You just take this with your chin up. I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now. Obviously, with JT being out and us kind of ending the year, but there's a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end, so looking forward to what's next.”
De facto general manager and Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens even offered a vote of approval for Brown during his end-of-season press conference in May.
“I have full faith that any game that you have [Tatum and Brown] on the court, or one of those guys on the court, you have a great shot,” Stevens replied when asked how the C's can stay afloat while banged-up. “And so, I have full faith in Jaylen.”
Brad Stevens on the star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and how those around JB will be key in JT’s absence:
“I have full faith that any game that you have those guys on the court, or one of those guys on the court, you have a great shot. I have full faith in Jaylen.” pic.twitter.com/rV2L6kTXXh
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 19, 2025
Stevens' first answer of the presser was also complimentary of Brown, highlighting his resilience and ability to play through his knee trouble.
“Jaylen wants to play,” he stated. “Jaylen is a competitor. Jaylen is a warrior. Jaylen takes great pride in being out there…So I think he felt comfortable getting out there and going after it, and, hopefully, he'll feel better after being off of it for a couple of weeks here.”
Brad Stevens on Jaylen Brown playing through injury:
“Jaylen is a warrior. He takes pride in being out there.” pic.twitter.com/FwHCRetTZP
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 19, 2025
Despite injuries, the Celtics don't seem to be giving up on next season
Brown didn't waste much time before getting surgery, and neither did Tatum. Given their eagerness to go under the knife and jumpstart the recovery process, it doesn't seem like the Celtics want to punt the 2025-26 campaign.
Tanking is a dirty word in the modern NBA, but it still exists. And when a team's best player is out for the foreseeable future and the reigning NBA Finals MVP is fresh off knee surgery amid an offseason of expected roster shakeup, the call to tank intensifies.
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However, that doesn't appear to be the Celtics' plan of action at the moment. Brown wants to be back for opening night to compete and Stevens still prioritized contending for championships over everything else.
“The north star is to have a championship contender,” Stevens emphasized in May. “So you have to do what’s best to give yourself the best opportunity to do that when you can do that. So we just have to look at it all and decide how feasible that is on any given year, and then make sure we’re making the decisions accordingly.”
Of course, Boston's current path isn't absolute. The front office has to make massive moves to avoid crippling taxes and penalties under the new CBA, and Stevens didn't ignore that harsh reality.
“We have a lot of good players,” he said. “We’re in a unique situation. They’re all under contract. And, obviously, there are several basketball penalties that will come with that amount of salary. So, we just have to weigh it all and make those decisions.”
Can the Celtics still compete without being at full strength?
The Celtics have qualified for the playoffs in 11 straight seasons (the longest active streak in the NBA) and are just one year removed from a championship. While resetting for a season is enticing, there's no guarantee they'll automatically bounce back in an ever-changing league or get the kind of draft luck that would justify an intentional off-year.
For now, Boston can take solace in the fact that the Eastern Conference isn't stacked. The top MVP candidates lie in the Western Conference and there's arguably no clear championship favorite in the East, as the Indiana Pacers weren't even expected to make the Finals this year.
Being a top seed without Tatum will be tough, yet Brown is capable of leading the Green Team to the postseason. He averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a career-high 4.5 assists per game during the 2024-25 campaign and will aim to improve upon all those marks with an increased usage rate next season.
Despite Brown's likely transition to the top of the roster, everything else is pretty much up in the air for Boston. Will Brown have a new co-star in Tatum's absence? Could Tatum return sooner than expected? Will key starters like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis still be in green?
The next several weeks should address most of those question marks. But one thing is for sure: Brown and Tatum are no longer NBA young guns.
The road to recovery begins for both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this summer (and beyond)
(Via @FCHWPO and @jaytatum0 on IG) pic.twitter.com/RSa7xU395Z
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 11, 2025
In terms of age, they're still both under 30 years old. However, they've experienced plenty of lengthy NBA seasons (with every one featuring a playoff run) and the minutes have caught up to them a bit — as they will for everybody.
Brown and Tatum will face significant challenges recovering from their respective injuries, but both stars have time on their side this offseason and have proven that touching the parquet floor again is a priority.
