The Boston Celtics enter the 2026-27 season with a very different look, and the move that changed everything still hangs over the whole conversation: Jaylen Brown is gone, shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal centered around Paul George.
That trade raised eyebrows immediately. Brown was coming off a career year and had just made the All-NBA Second Team, so on paper it looked like the kind of swing that could backfire fast.
But Boston had its reasons. The second apron was a real concern, and the Celtics also wanted to avoid the coming headache of Brown’s contract extension demands.
There’s still a case to be made that Boston did not take a major step back. If Jayson Tatum gets back to his pre-injury level, the Celtics may have swapped one elite wing for another and kept the overall ceiling intact. The draft picks coming back from Philadelphia only add to the flexibility, especially if Boston wants to buy into the market later.
The bigger question is what this group looks like on the floor, and the answer may be: familiar enough. The Celtics have spent the last five seasons winning at least 51 games every year, and there’s not much reason to expect that formula to disappear now. Boston still knows exactly how it wants to play - bomb away from deep, control the glass, limit turnovers, and defend with force every night.
George fits that approach well. Even at 36, he remains a high-level perimeter defender and a useful connective piece, and his game now leans even more heavily on the three-ball. With Tatum back in place to handle the first-option load Brown had last season, Boston should still have plenty of offensive punch.
That’s why the Celtics are projected to finish ahead of Philadelphia in the standings and secure homecourt advantage in the first round. The 76ers may be loaded if everyone is healthy, but the source of the challenge there is obvious: fit could be messy early, and Joel Embiid’s health will be managed with the playoffs in mind.
The Celtics’ starting five is less settled than usual, though, and that opens up a few interesting possibilities. One camp believes Payton Pritchard should stay in a bench role even after Brown’s departure, keeping the rotation balanced. That would leave the second unit in need of a lead guard, and 38-year-old Mike Conley is not really that guy anymore, even if he still helps as a locker room presence and a third-string guard.
If Boston starts Tatum, George, and Derrick White, it could still make sense to use a lower-usage option like Baylor Scheierman or Hugo Gonzalez as the fifth starter rather than moving Pritchard up.
Pritchard has already shown what he can do in that reserve role. In 29 games off the bench last season, he averaged 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. If he spends the season as a full-time sixth man again, he has a strong path to another Sixth Man of the Year award.
Gonzalez is the wild card. His name exploded overnight because of rumors that Boston refused to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo since it would have meant including the 20-year-old Spanish international, along with Brown. Gonzalez only averaged 3.9 points per game in a bench role during his rookie season, but the Celtics clearly believe in him.
If he sharpens his three-point shooting and defense, with that 6'10.75″ wingspan helping on the other end, he could grow into the team’s starter at the two. And if he starts most games, puts up something in the range of 10 to 12 points, and defends at a high level while Boston keeps winning, he should get real Most Improved Player buzz. It’s rare for a sophomore to win that award, but Gonzalez may force voters to at least think about it.
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Doc Rivers Hall of Fame moment carried a familiar Celtics charge, with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on hand to present the coach who guided Boston to the 2008 NBA championship. The ceremony doubled as a reunion of the franchises Big Three, a sight that instantly pulled fans back to one of the most defining eras in team history.
For Celtics followers, the scene had an extra layer of meaning because those relationships had not always been easy after Allens departure in 2012. Seeing the three together again, standing behind the coach who helped connect their peak years, brought back a feeling Boston fans know well: the memory of a title team still capable of stirring something even after the final banner was hung. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics May Already Be Facing The Cost Of Moving Jaylen Brown
The Celtics move to shake up the top of their roster came with a familiar kind of risk: swapping out Jaylen Brown for a player whose rsum is as decorated as it is complicated. Paul George brings scoring, size and plenty of big-game experience, but his injury history and hefty contract are already raising questions about how often Boston will actually get to use him this season, and at what cost to the rest of the rotation.
There is also a broader ripple effect beyond Bostons own depth chart. Philadelphias roster picture appears to have been altered by the deal in a way that could matter well beyond this season, adding another layer to a trade the Celtics made for both present value and future draft capital. For a team that has spent years trying to stay in win-now mode, the early returns may end up being judged as much by what the move unsettles as by what it adds. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fans Just Got Their First Look At Bostons New Core
Boston fans got an early glimpse of what the next era could look like when Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley all made their way through the Celtics training facility and into the teams offseason spotlight. The three newcomers are on board for the 2026-27 season after the trade that sent Jaylen Brown out, and the visit gave the organization a chance to formally introduce the reshaped roster while the players shared their first reactions and appeared in an official team video.
Brad Stevens also weighed in on the fit, pointing to the way the trio can complement each other and what they can add once the season arrives. For now, the images and comments serve as the first public sign of Bostons new core taking shape, even if the real evaluation will have to wait until those pieces are on the floor together. [Read more 🡒]