The Boston Celtics weren’t supposed to be here-not after Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles in last season’s playoffs, and certainly not after the team lost most of its frontcourt depth in a whirlwind of trades and free agency departures. But here they are, sitting with the 10th-best record in the league through 26 games, and playing like a team that didn’t get the memo about rebuilding.
This unexpected surge has given team president Brad Stevens something rare in the NBA: options. With the trade deadline on the horizon, Stevens is weighing whether to double down on this group’s early success or continue stockpiling assets for the long haul.
“We will not put a ceiling on this group,” Stevens said. “If it makes sense for us to look for things that can help us, we certainly will. But it all has to be within good deals, and it all has to be within the ultimate goal, which is the North Star of retooling so we’re in a position to compete for what we want to compete for-a championship.”
That’s the balancing act Stevens faces. Boston is roughly $12.1 million over the luxury tax line, so any move that sheds salary could offer financial relief.
But this team isn’t limping along-they’ve won 15 of their last 23 games, and Jaylen Brown is playing like a man on a mission. He’s currently sixth in the league in scoring, pouring in 29.3 points per game and shouldering the offensive load with Tatum sidelined.
That kind of production makes it hard to justify a full-scale pivot toward the lottery, especially in a crowded Eastern Conference where the difference between the No. 3 and No. 9 seeds is razor-thin.
“I think everybody, or a lot of teams, are really still very much in, ‘Let’s see how everything looks as time goes on,’” Stevens said. “Everybody’s a work in progress.
What’s the difference between third and ninth in the East right now? There’s hardly anything, right?
And I think that we’re all still trying to figure out who we are and what we can be.”
While Stevens didn’t tip his hand on specific trade targets, it’s no secret the Celtics could use some reinforcement up front. With the frontcourt rotation thinned out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston explore deals that bolster their interior presence. One name floating around league circles is Anfernee Simons, who’s on an expiring $27.7 million deal-a potential swing piece if Boston decides to make a push.
But ultimately, the biggest variable in Boston’s season isn’t a trade-it’s Tatum.
The All-NBA forward hasn’t played since May, but by all accounts, his rehab is trending in the right direction. That said, the Celtics aren’t rushing anything.
There’s no timeline, no artificial deadline. Just a long, deliberate process focused on getting him back to full strength.
“We’re not putting a timeline on it as we haven’t the whole time,” Stevens said. “One of the things that everybody can see is that we didn’t apply for a disabled player exception this year, which was a conscious decision for a lot of reasons. But the reality is he’s not going to be back until he’s 110 percent healthy and he feels good about it.”
Tatum’s recovery involves meeting a series of strength benchmarks, followed by a layered progression of basketball activities-from scripted drills in small groups to full 5-on-5, then unscripted play, and finally ramping up to game-speed conditioning. It’s a meticulous, multi-stage process, and the Celtics are committed to getting it right.
“Obviously, he’s itching to play. Obviously, he hates watching,” Stevens added. “But he’s also very cognizant of the need to meet every threshold and why those things are put in place.”
So where does that leave the Celtics? In a fascinating spot.
They’ve outperformed expectations without their best player, have one of the league’s top scorers in Brown, and a front office that’s keeping its options open. Whether Stevens chooses to make a move or stay the course, one thing is clear: this Celtics team isn’t just surviving-they’re competing.
And with Tatum’s return looming on the horizon, the ceiling might be higher than anyone thought.