Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, the Boston Celtics will have a different starting five after trading away Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two firsts, and two seconds. Brown has been a long-time member of the starting five, so it will take some time to adjust to not seeing him in a Celtics jersey(and even longer to get used to seeing him in a 76ers jersey).
On the plus side, Boston will have Jayson Tatum back after he returned in March of last season from his ruptured Achilles tendon. A healthy Tatum is a top player in the NBA, and for Boston to have any sort of success this upcoming season, it will need Tatum to continue rounding back into pre-injury form.
Tatum will obviously be a starter, but Boston has a clear decision on who the remaining starters around him should be.
Celtics' starting lineup is clear
When the season begins, Boston's starting five should be Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta. White and Queta were regular starters for Boston last season, with Pritchard also starting in most of the games, returning to his sixth-man role after the trade deadline.
Starting with the backcourt, White has been a long-term starter for Boston, and it shouldn't be a shock when that continues next season. Though he's coming off a down season, White can still be a valuable piece to Boston's success. Having Pritchard start next to him can also help him out.
Pritchard returning to the starting lineup should happen, as Boston's offense could use his creation and spacing. He's coming off his best season, and the Oregon alum taking another jump in his game would be just what Boston needs. Compared to White, Pritchard is also more of a true point guard in playstyle and could maybe help White return to his old form by taking some of the offensive workload off his hands.
At the forward spots, I think it will obviously be George along with Tatum. Tatum being a starter doesn't need any explanation, as he is the best player on the team. After being acquired for Brown, it would be surprising for George to come off the bench.
Even with concerns over his durability, George can still give solid minutes. No, he's not the PG13 of old, but he can still give you great three-point shooting and defense (Celtics fans should just look at his play against them in the playoffs).
Finally, at center, I'd go with Queta. In the offseason, Boston signed Mitchell Robinson, but they should still go with Queta as the starter. Robinson has health concerns, and the Portuguese native has continued to become a better player since arriving in Boston.
The Celtics have other options
As previously mentioned, Robinson could get the start over Queta. No matter who the starter is, Queta will more than likely play more minutes than Robinson to help preserve Robinson, given how valuable he can be when on the court due to his defense and rebounding.
If Boston were to go a different route than I believe it should be, the one I think would be on the bench would be Pritchard. White would be moved to the point in this scenario, with Boston starting one of three players: Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, or Hugo Gonzalez.
Hauser has the most starting experience of the three, but both Scheierman and Gonzalez have higher upside than the Wisconsin native. Of these options, I'd lean toward Scheierman or Gonzalez, as Scheierman's offensive game is the strongest of the three, while the Spanish native has the highest overall upside and is the strongest defender of the bunch.
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