The Boston Celtics don’t need to add another body this summer. They already have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, and staying under the tax would let them reset the repeater tax. But if Brad Stevens wants to get creative, a reunion with Kelly Olynyk would make a lot of sense.
Stevens has never shown much hesitation about bringing back players he knows. He’s done it with Al Horford, Daniel Theis, and Enes Freedom.
Olynyk would fit that same pattern, but the case for him goes beyond familiarity. He became a Celtics hero in Boston and, in the source article’s view, helped pave the way for the team to reach the Eastern Conference Finals under Stevens.
There’s also the basketball fit. Olynyk’s game lines up with Mazzulla Ball as a floor-spacer who doesn’t do a lot of damage on either end.
He could give Boston another big who can stretch the floor and keep the offense moving. That matters if the Celtics expect to lean on their big-man depth.
Olynyk’s Boston run came with some frustrating stretches, especially when his scoring got erratic. But bringing him back now would not mean getting the same player who left in 2017.
He’s coming off a rough season, though that’s not shocking at 35 for a player who has always been a limited athlete. His stock isn’t what it once was either, partly because he didn’t have much of a role with the San Antonio Spurs.
Still, there are not many better options in this category. The only proven floor-spacing big man already on the roster is Luka Garza, who can shoot it from deep. Adding another similar option would not be a bad thing, especially with Boston likely to manage Mitchell Robinson as much as possible.
Olynyk has never been a great rebounder for his size, but that concern would be softened by the rebounding around him if he returned to Boston. And with the Mike Conley Jr. signing showing that the Celtics are willing to ignore age when it suits them, a move like this would at least be worth considering.
Olynyk is not Horford, but if the expectation is Blake Griffin (Boston version), that definitely isn't too high a bar to clear.
In Other News...
NBA Passed On A Celtics Reunion Fans Expected Right Away
The NBAs early look at the 2026-27 schedule gave fans a first glimpse of opening night, the opening week and Christmas Day, but it did not deliver the kind of reunion many around Boston might have penciled in. With the Celtics and 76ers both reshaped by recent roster changes and carrying a rivalry that still draws attention, an early-season meeting between the two looked like an obvious showcase candidate.
Instead, the leagues preview pointed both clubs elsewhere for those marquee dates, leaving the anticipated Boston-Philadelphia spotlight matchup off the board for now. Bostons holiday stage belongs to another Eastern Conference opponent, and the full schedule release later on will be the next chance to see where, and when, the Celtics and Sixers finally land on each others calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Got An Opening Night Spotlight Few Teams Ever See
The Celtics are set to get a rare kind of showcase to open the 2026-27 NBA season, drawing the first game on the league calendar against the Pistons in a Tuesday matinee. A 3 p.m. ET tip-off is unusual by any standard, but it was chosen with a specific purpose in mind, as NBA and NBC executives wanted the opener to feel like an event while also reaching international viewers.
For Boston, it is another sign of how often the franchise is placed in the leagues brightest spotlight, even before the season has fully begun. The opener will lead into a packed night slate as the Knicks host the 76ers and the Thunder meet the Spurs, but the Celtics-Pistons game gets the first turn in front of the cameras, with the afternoon slot giving it a different kind of stage than the usual opening-night routine. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Made Their Title Bet Impossible To Misread
The Celtics have made it clear this offseason that they are not chasing talent in a vacuum. Under Brad Stevens, the front office has leaned into basketball fit and team identity, a direction that stands in sharp contrast to Philadelphias talent-heavy approach. Bostons latest moves were built around that idea, with the club reshaping its roster to better match the way it wants to defend, manage possessions and play when the margins tighten in the playoffs.
There is still a reason the move feels so dramatic, though, because Boston did not just tinker at the edges. The Celtics dealt Jaylen Brown for Paul George, then followed with another addition meant to reinforce the same formula, bringing in Mitchell Robinson to help on the glass and at the defensive end. It is the kind of roster bet that says the Celtics believe cohesion can matter as much as star power, even if the real test of that theory is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]