Bleacher Report isn’t buying the idea that the Boston Celtics are headed for a big drop-off after moving Jaylen Brown.
With the full NBA schedule now out for 2026-27, the outlet projected every team’s record and pegged Boston at 52-30. That would keep the Celtics in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, even after the Brown trade.
Andy Bailey went a step further, saying there’s a real path for Boston to be even better than it was a season ago.
"It's really not difficult to envision the world in which the Boston Celtics are better in 2026-27 than they were in 2025-26," writes Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey.
"The infrastructure is still in place. Jayson Tatum is better than Brown and should be at 100 percent from the start of the season. Mitchell Robinson, assuming he can stay healthy, is a huge upgrade at the 5.
"And while Paul George has understandably been panned in the wake of the Brown trade, he's actually a pretty good fit on this roster. No, he's not as good as Brown right now, but he'll be willing to play more of a complementary role alongside Tatum and is a much more reliable catch-and-shoot three-point threat."
That kind of projection would soften the sting of losing Brown, but it still comes with a clear reminder of what Boston is giving up. Brown was the engine of last season’s 56-26 finish while Jayson Tatum missed most of the year recovering from an Achilles tear. Even so, the Celtics have not finished below 50 wins since 2020-21.
The roster changes explain why Bleacher Report isn’t backing away from Boston. George replaces Brown as a still-productive two-way presence, while Mitchell Robinson gives the Celtics much-needed center depth and brings one of the most dominant offensive rebounding profiles in NBA history.
Bailey’s projections also keep the Celtics in a tight race at the top of the East. He has the defending champion New York Knicks at 53-29, the Philadelphia 76ers - now with Brown - at 50-32, and the Detroit Pistons as the only other Eastern Conference team expected to reach 50 wins.
In Other News...
Doc Rivers Saw One Problem Celtics Fans Will Feel In Brown Trade
At the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement media availability, Doc Rivers looked back on his Celtics years and then turned to the move that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia. The former Boston coach said he was surprised by the trade, which brought Paul George and draft picks to Boston, and he framed it through the lens of how closely Celtics fans still track anything involving the 76ers.
Rivers also reached back to a mandate from Tommy Heinsohn, the kind of old-school reminder that still hangs over the franchise years later. Bostons hope is that George can be fit into the system and the draft capital can be turned into roster help, but the reaction from Rivers underscored the emotional side of the deal, especially for anyone who grew up on the rivalry and the expectation that certain losses simply are not supposed to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens Took The Heat For A Celtics Tradeoff Fans Hate
Brad Stevens spent the offseason making the kind of decisions that come with a heavy dose of short-term pain and long-term planning, and Celtics fans have had plenty to absorb. The front office moved aggressively to reshape the roster, adding Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday while also working within the realities of the NBAs salary structure, a balancing act that left Boston over the leagues second tax apron as Stevens chased the kind of window that can actually end with a title.
The bigger picture is why the Brad Stevens approach has been so polarizing: he accepted real risk now in exchange for keeping the Celtics positioned to win later, even if the tradeoff frustrates a fan base that wanted a cleaner, easier path. Missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo only sharpened the stakes, and the Jaylen Brown deal became the move that crystallized the debate, because it underscored just how far Stevens was willing to go to keep Boston competitive while still navigating the cap rules that will shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Giannis Just Added More Fuel To Celtics Christmas Showdown
The Celtics-Hit rivalry already had enough edge after Miami landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason, but Christmas Day has now taken on a little extra bite. Boston had made a run at Giannis before getting outbid, and the chain reaction from that chase eventually sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, leaving the Celtics with another reminder of how quickly the balance shifted.
Giannis has not done much to cool things down, either, as he has made it clear he is looking forward to the matchup with Boston. For a Celtics team that has spent the offseason watching a familiar East battle get even more personal, the holiday meeting now carries more than just the usual regular-season flair. [Read more 🡒]