The Celtics enter the 2026-27 season with a different look after sending Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for the aging Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. Jayson Tatum remains the centerpiece, but Boston’s roster is no longer built around him in quite the same way, even though expectations are still high.
That kind of reshuffling can put a team on constant watch once the season starts. Brad Stevens has already shown he’s willing to make major changes, and Boston still has a roster full of players who could surface in trade talks if the front office decides to swing again.
Some would be included mainly to make salaries line up. Others could headline something bigger.
Derrick White sits at the top of that list because he’s the one who could bring back a serious return. Boston is not actively shopping him, but his value is hard to ignore.
White just put together a career-best season, averaging 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 77 games. He also posted career highs of 1.3 blocks and 1.1 steals, made his first All-Defensive First Team, and finished 6th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
His contract only adds to the intrigue. White is entering his age-32 season with three years left, including $30.35 million in 2026-27 and $34.84 million in 2028-29.
That kind of number can anchor a major deal, and his production makes him attractive to teams looking for a starting guard. White has already shown up in reported trade scenarios involving Boston, including possible frontcourt upgrades.
If the Celtics decide they need more size, another creator, or a different kind of star next to Tatum and George, White is the clearest path to that kind of return.
Payton Pritchard is next, and he may be the hardest player on this list for Boston to actually move. That’s because his role could grow even more this season after a career year in 2025-26, when he averaged 17.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. He’s 28, he owns a career 39.4% mark from three, and he can create offense with or without the ball.
His salary makes him especially appealing in trade conversations, too. Pritchard is set to make $7.77 million in 2026-27, a very manageable figure for the production he brings. If he takes another step and becomes a true starting-caliber guard, Boston could be forced into a real decision: keep one of its best young offensive players or use him as a major piece in a bigger trade package.
Sam Hauser is another name that stands out because teams know exactly what he does. He’s a high-volume shooter who can stretch the floor and give a contender spacing without needing a lot of touches.
Hauser averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game last season while shooting 41.9% from the field, 39.3% from three, and 85.0% from the line in 78 games, including 49 starts. He logged 24.8 minutes per game.
His contract gives Boston flexibility as well. Hauser is owed $10.85 million in 2026-27, then $11.65 million in 2027-28 and $12.46 million in 2028-29.
That’s enough to matter in a meaningful trade, but not so much that he becomes difficult to move. He can function as both a rotation piece and an asset, and Boston has also been identified as a team that could look to move him for added flexibility.
Luka Garza rounds out the group as the most obvious end-of-roster name here. Boston is unlikely to view him as a core long-term piece, which makes him the kind of player who could get included in a larger deal if the Celtics need to make the math work. Garza averaged 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 57.7% from the field in 69 games, including six starts.
His real value is tied to his contract and what it can help Boston do. He played 16.2 minutes per game, but the bigger point is that even a smaller salary can be useful when a contender is piecing together a multi-player trade. And with Tatum, George, Mitchell Robinson, and Neemias Queta on the roster, there’s little reason to treat Garza as untouchable.
In Other News...
Marcus Smart Just Gave Celtics Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Marcus Smarts latest comments added another layer to a familiar story around his place in the league, and they will land especially hard with Celtics fans who still remember the edge he brought every night in Boston. In a recent interview, Smart said he viewed the Los Angeles Lakers free agency offer as disrespectful and not reflective of what he has done on the floor, a reaction that fits the no-nonsense image he built over his time with the Celtics.
He ultimately signed with the Houston Rockets, then took aim at how the Lakers handled his contract situation, turning a routine free-agency decision into a pointed critique of one of Bostons biggest rivals. For Celtics fans, it is another reminder of why Smart remains such an easy player to root for, even now that his path has taken him elsewhere, and it leaves the Lakers facing questions about how their roster choices are being perceived. [Read more 🡒]
ESPNs Celtics Rankings Just Fueled A New Jayson Tatum Debate
ESPNs latest top-100 player list for the 2026-27 NBA season gave the Celtics a healthy presence, with four players making the cut and three of them clustered in the middle and lower half of the rankings. Derrick White landed at 47th, Paul George at 67th and Payton Pritchard at 70th, a spread that says plenty about how the league views Bostons depth and the different roles those players are expected to fill.
The bigger conversation, though, comes from Jayson Tatums placement at ninth, which is the kind of ranking that can spark a fresh round of debate even before the season begins. With seven ESPN experts contributing to the list, the Celtics once again found themselves in the familiar spot of being judged not just on what they have, but on how the league stacks their stars against everyone else. [Read more 🡒]
Mitchell Robinson Just Added Real Heat To Celtics-Knicks Rivalry
Mitchell Robinsons move from the Knicks to the Celtics has already given an old rivalry a fresh edge, and the big man sounds ready for the kind of reception that comes with it. He talked openly about leaving New York for Boston, acknowledged the history between the two teams, and said he expects the atmosphere to be plenty charged when he steps back into Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson also weighed in on Robinsons signing, pointing to their friendship while making clear it will take a back seat once the Celtics and Knicks are on opposite sides of the floor. For Boston, it is another reminder that the path through the East is rarely quiet, and any trip to New York now carries a little more meaning than it already did. [Read more 🡒]