ESPN’s summer forecast for the 2026-27 season put the Golden State Warriors on top of the league’s list of teams most likely to make a major trade before the deadline, but the Boston Celtics weren’t far behind. Boston and the Houston Rockets each picked up three points in the voting, tying them for third on the list after the Detroit Pistons finished with four.
Even with that showing, a Celtics blockbuster before opening night does not look like the likeliest outcome. Boston does have the kind of assets that make a big swing possible: draft capital, young talent, and a front office led by Brad Stevens that is positioned to strike whenever the right opportunity appears. But right now, there does not seem to be a move on the horizon that would send shockwaves through the league.
Some Celtics fans might point back to the Jrue Holiday deal that landed in Boston just before training camp in 2023. That move, though, came as part of the Damian Lillard ripple effect, with it already clear the Portland Trail Blazers would reroute the two-time All-Star.
This time around, the picture is different. Outside of Jalen Duren’s restricted free agency, the major names are mostly settled, and there is no obvious star waiting to be moved. The Warriors have not done much to help Stephen Curry chase another title, but the idea of sending him elsewhere this late in the summer still feels far-fetched.
That leaves the real swing for later. If Boston doesn’t do anything before opening night, then the next chance for a major move comes in-season, and even there the options are murky. There is no clean-cut candidate who looks ready to shake free by February’s deadline.
So if the Celtics do make a trade during the 2026-27 campaign, it may look more like last year’s swap of Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic than some headline-grabbing star chase. That’s a perfectly workable path for Boston, which seems comfortable entering the season with the roster it has and a one-star setup built around Jayson Tatum.
The fit around Tatum is already strong, and the group around him is also a better match for Joe Mazzulla’s system. For now, that looks like the plan: keep the roster intact, keep the powder dry, and wait for the right opening instead of forcing a move just to make noise.
In Other News...
Celtics Just Gained New Flexibility With Paul Georges Massive Contract
The Celtics summer reshaped itself around Paul George from the moment they landed him from Philadelphia in July, but the structure of that move came with an important catch. Under NBA CBA rules, Boston could not initially aggregate Georges salary with other contracts in a trade, which limited how much maneuvering room the front office had while exploring the rest of the market.
That restriction is set to expire on Sept. 6, giving the Celtics more flexibility if they choose to use Georges contract as part of a larger deal. There is no confirmed indication Boston is looking to move him, and president Brad Stevens has spoken positively about Georges fit, but the added option matters for a team that likes keeping pathways open as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Browns Boston Goodbye Just Made His Next Chapter Feel Bigger
After 10 years with the Celtics, Jaylen Brown got a proper Boston sendoff, one fitting for a player who became far more than just a star on the court. The farewell event included recognition from the city and state, with a street now bearing his name, a rare gesture that underscored how deeply he was woven into the franchises modern run and the citys basketball identity.
Browns next stop, though, puts him into a very different kind of spotlight. In Philadelphia, he is set to join a core that includes LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey as the 76ers chase an NBA title, and the move brings with it a fresh set of expectations, role questions and adjustment points. For a player who spent a decade in one place, the biggest change may not be the uniform so much as the fit, and how quickly he settles into a contender built to win now. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face One Immediate Mitchell Robinson Question
Mitchell Robinson is already giving the Celtics an interesting roster puzzle before he even logs a regular-season minute. Boston brought him in on a three-year, $47.3 million deal, banking on the kind of rim protection and rebounding that can change a game without requiring much of the ball. The fit makes sense on paper, especially for a team built to defend deep into the spring, but Robinson also arrives with the same offensive and free-throw limitations that have always shaped how he is used.
So the immediate question for Joe Mazzulla is not whether Robinson matters, but how much the Celtics should ask of him night to night. The idea is to keep him in a role that preserves his legs and keeps his impact high, even if that means bringing him off the bench and trimming his minutes in the interest of the playoffs. It is the kind of usage plan that worked elsewhere, and it leaves Boston with a clear balancing act: maximize Robinsons value now without wearing him down later. [Read more 🡒]