Paul George doesn’t need to roll back the years to make sense for the Celtics.
That’s the real takeaway here. Boston is not chasing the version of George that was a six-time All-NBA pick, a nine-time All-Star, and the featured scorer on three different Conference Finalists.
At 36, that player may be in the rearview mirror anyway. What the Celtics need is simpler, and in some ways more realistic: a wing who can space the floor, create a little offense, and hold up on both ends without needing the ball every trip.
Over the past two seasons, George has still given plenty. He’s averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made per game while shooting .434/.375/.817.
Those numbers don’t scream headline-grabber, but they paint the picture of a player who contributes in a lot of different ways. He isn’t dominating one specific category anymore.
He’s just useful everywhere.
That’s exactly the kind of piece Boston could use next to Jayson Tatum, who has played just 22 games over the past 18 months. If the Celtics are trying to build a setup that helps Tatum get back to superstar status, George’s job doesn’t have to be glamorous. It just has to be steady, flexible, and reliable on the nights when Boston needs something different.
The offensive fit is easy to see. The Celtics have built their identity around volume three-point shooting, ranking No. 4 in attempts in 2025-26 after finishing No. 1 in both 2024-25 and 2023-24, and No. 2 in 2022-23. George has spent the last 11 seasons hitting 39.0 percent of his threes on 7.7 attempts per game, which makes him a natural fit in that kind of system.
He also brings more than spot-up shooting. George still had 5.7 drives per game in 2025-26, and among returning Celtics players, only Tatum, Pritchard, and White had more.
He can pass, he can get to his spots, and he remains a dangerous midrange shooter, knocking down 45.5 percent of those attempts in 2025-26. That mix gives Boston another layer instead of just another standstill shooter.
On the other end, there’s fair reason to wonder whether George is still the All-Defense-level force he once was. But the effort has not been the issue, and the numbers from 2025-26 suggest there’s still something there. Per Basketball Index, he ranked in the 74th percentile in both perimeter isolation defense and off-ball chaser defense.
So the Celtics don’t need a miracle version of George. If he simply keeps doing what he’s been doing, that still gives Boston a balanced rotation with a player who can matter in a lot of different moments.
If there’s more in the tank, great. If not, the baseline is already good enough.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Is Back In A Celtics Trade Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Kyrie Irving is back in the middle of a familiar kind of NBA conversation, this time because of what the Mavericks might do as they map out the roster around Cooper Flagg. Irvings recent injury and his age are part of the discussion, and the idea of reshaping Dallas with an eye toward future assets has reopened a trade framework that pulls Boston and Golden State into the mix. For Celtics fans, it is the kind of proposal that instantly gets attention because it touches both the present and the long view.
The speculative deal would send pieces and draft capital in different directions, with Dallas looking to stockpile flexibility while Boston and the Warriors would be trying to address specific roster needs. It is the sort of three-team concept that rarely stays hypothetical for long once it starts circulating, especially with Irving involved, because his name still carries both the history of his Celtics stint and the practical question of what kind of value he could return in a broader swap. [Read more 🡒]
Payton Pritchard Now Faces A Celtics Role That Changes Everything
The Celtics backcourt has taken on a different shape with the addition of veteran guard Mike Conley, a move that gives Boston another steady hand behind the point while also nudging Payton Pritchard into a far larger spotlight. Conley is expected to handle backup point guard duties in limited minutes, and that reshuffle leaves Pritchard positioned to step out of his familiar sixth man role and into the starting five.
For Pritchard, the change is more than a lineup tweak. His minutes should rise, and so should the offensive burden that comes with playing alongside the first unit, where Boston will lean on him differently than it did off the bench. The Celtics have seen him work in both roles before, but this is the sort of assignment that changes how the rest of the rotation flows around him, and it will be one of the more interesting subplots as the roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Just Gave Celtics Fans A Reason To Keep Dreaming
Stephen Currys contract situation just added another layer to the long-running daydreams that tend to follow a superstar of his stature. Beginning Aug. 29, he becomes eligible to sign an extension with the Warriors, and under the NBAs Over-38 rule the most he can get is a two-year deal. His current contract already runs through the 2026-27 season, so there is no immediate urgency, but the calendar now opens a new window for Golden State to decide how it wants to handle the final stretch of Currys career.
For Celtics fans, the appeal is obvious even if the reality remains a lot murkier. Rumors about a possible trade to Boston have floated around, but there has been no credible reporting to give them real weight, and Curry would still be headed toward unrestricted free agency after his current deal expires. Still, once a player of his magnitude is eligible for a new extension, every team with a championship-sized imagination has reason to pay attention, even if the path to actually landing him remains distant. [Read more 🡒]