Against all odds, the Boston Celtics are 2-0 behind against the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. Despite leading both games by 20 points at home, the Celtics went through similar collapses in the fourth quarter and dug themselves a massive hole as the series moves to New York.
While the Celtics still have a chance to come back and win the series as the better team, Boston needs to seriously start thinking about their offseason, regardless of how the rest of this postseason plays out. The Celtics are obviously not as invincible as they looked in the 2024 playoffs, raising questions about their long-term prospects.
One of those questions will be about Kristaps Porzingis. The All-Star center has been dealing with an unfortunate illness over the last few months and has been hit with its symptoms in the first two games of the series.
While the timing of this must be incredibly frustrating for Porzingis, it also forces the Celtics to make a difficult decision in the offseason.
Boston was always going to have to move on from one of their key players after the season due to the financial implications of keeping the roster together. While many assumed that the player would be Jrue Holiday, the Latvian big man's availability concerns for the second straight postseason will certainly change that calculation.
Porzingis' absence or lack of ability to play extended minutes put a heavy burden on Al Horford. Even though the 38-year-old has been performing admirably in an extended role, expecting him to continue to do that going forward is not realistic. The Celtics need to find a reliable, long-term answer at center, and if Porzingis can't be that, he may find his time in Boston come to an end this summer.
As important as Porzingis is to this team's identity, providing a unique combination of shooting and rim protection, the Celtics may need to find a different solution for next season. Porzingis has one more year left on his contract, paying him $30.7 million for the 2025-26 season. That should be an enticing contract for plenty of teams looking to take a swing at a highly talented, near All-Star caliber big man.