The Boston Celtics finished the 2024-2025 season with a 61-21 record. That record was good for second in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were poised to make another deep playoff run when tragedy struck. Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles Tendon during their second-round series loss to the New York Knicks. Now, with their 2025-2026 season in limbo due to Tatum's injury, the Celtics find themselves in a difficult offseason situation. Do they make trades and tweak the roster to be able to compete next season? Or do they stay put as is and wait until Jayson Tatum returns?
The main candidate to be moved if the Celtics decide to make a trade is their starting center, Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis had a strong 2024-2025 season when he was on the court. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Unfortunately, Porzingis may be the odd man out. The Celtics may feel that their championship window is closing, especially with Tatum out for an extended period. They plan to keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, their franchise cornerstones. They will need solid players around them who put the ball in the basket and who are available to be on the court.
The other player the Celtics could consider trading would be their starting point guard, Jrue Holiday. Holiday is under contract with the team through the 2027-2028 season. Holiday will have a player option for the 2027-2028 season. If the Celtics have to choose between Porzingis and Holiday, then Porzingis would be the likely choice. He is great when he is in the lineup. However, almost half of the time, Porzingis is out of the lineup due to injury and/or illness.
Trading Porzingis could net Boston a strong rotation player. They could also get some strong draft capital to build for the future. In the NBA, nothing is certain. You can be on top of the league today. Then, in the next two years, find your team in rebuilding mode. The Celtics are paying multiple players a lot of money right now. Porzingis is currently on a two-year, $60 million deal, which expires at the end of the 2025-2026 season.
The Celtics have some soul-searching to do regarding Porzingis. Do they see him as a long-term part of their future? When he is in the lineup, he is very effective. However, he does miss a large amount of time due to injuries and illness. If the team can get great value in return, the smart move would be to move on from Porzingis now to help build for the future.