Although it’s only preseason, the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics already look better than anticipated. New additions Hugo Gonzalez, Josh Minott, Chris Boucher, and Luka Garza have been impressive in preseason play and are expected to play an instrumental role on this year’s team.
While this is great news for Celtics fans, this is terrible news for Jordan Walsh, as it hurts his chances of receiving increased playing time. Heading into this season, Walsh was expected to take a leap in his development and have a role off the bench, but he has yet to display any improvement.
Walsh, 21, is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract. The fourth year is a club option that the Celtics must decide on by the 31st of this month. With the emergence of Gonzalez and Minott, Walsh’s future with the Celtics is uncertain.
Jordan Walsh Likely Playing Final Season in Boston
The Celtics' rotation suffered a huge blow in the offseason with the departure of four key contributors, along with the injury to Jayson Tatum. Despite losing key players to their championship core, Walsh had the perfect opportunity to earn a larger role.
Walsh spent his first two seasons as a depth player on a loaded Boston roster, appearing in only 61 games. In his limited playing time, Walsh averaged 1.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, while shooting a mediocre 36.7% from the field.
Entering this season, the Celtics hoped Walsh would show strides in his development. During the annual Las Vegas Summer League, Walsh put his potential on display, averaging 15 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, all while shooting 43.3% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc.
While Walsh showed signs of improvement over the summer, against lesser competition, he needed to replicate his play in the preseason to prove himself against seasoned veterans. A groin injury forced him to miss two games, but when he did play, Walsh didn’t do anything special. In two games, Walsh averaged a quiet 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest in just 19 total minutes of game time.
By failing to stand out, Walsh likely missed out on his chance to crack the rotation, while Gonzalez and Minott solidified their roles with their strong showings. With Boston's roster crowded at the forward position, Walsh will probably remain an end-of-the-bench player.
While it’s still early to count out Walsh, he hasn’t given fans anything to believe in. Despite his young age, he’s yet to have any real impact in his limited play after being taken with the No. 38 overall pick in 2023, and hasn’t shown he deserves more minutes than the limited ones he's received.
Regardless, Walsh faces an uphill battle to remain in Boston after this season, as the team appears to be invested in its new additions.